Sasuke's Heart
by Twilaliars798
Summary: Just a series of one shots about moments where Sasuke needs help or a parental figure and Kakashi's there to give it to him along with the rest of team 7. From sickness and Asthma, to injuries, curse mark issues, and emotional despair. Some are more OCC then others. Starts off slower and gets better so give it a chance. Read and Review please!
1. Not So Frozen Solid

**_I know I usually write Twilight Fics but had these little stories in my head for a while now and had to post them...so here they are._**

**_Please READ AND REVIEW!_**

**_Disclaimer: Sadly, the wonderful world of Naruto Does't belong to m.e _No copywrite is intended and nothing belongs to me except my plotline.**

**Sasuke's Heart**

_**Not So Frozen Solid**_

Naruto watched Sasuke shivering in the corner of the large tent. He'd wrapped himself up tightly in his sleeping bag, squishing himself into the small corner as much as possible. His face was passive as he tried to maintain his pride, but Sakura and Naruto could see he was obviously freezing. That sleeping bag wasn't doing anything for him. Before they'd gotten here it had already been in the cold for at least an hour and Sasuke's body heat definitely wasn't enough to warm it right now.

It was the coldest day of the year here in the usually warm land of rice. Snow and ice raged outside, covering the usually warm, sun soaked ground. Wind rocked the small orange tent as Sakura and Naruto huddled close together in the opposite corner to prevent frostbite.

"S-S-S-Sasu-ke really….y-y-you're gonna…f-f-freeze" Sakura stuttered, near tears as the wind continued to blow, causing the small area to feel like arctic tundra.

Both Naruto and Sakura had offered Sasuke to join them in the other corner quite a few times so that they could conserve their body heat; however, with an icy glare in his eyes, he refused. At this point they both knew the glare was a complete act.

This was just their luck. Being out on a mission in shorts and t-shirts on the coldest, worst storm the area had gotten in years. It had started as they had just left the tiny village they were working in, but not even their sensei was able to determine it escalating to this level. It was just kind of thrown at them like someone had turned over a bucket full of frozen ice chips.

At that moment, the kid's teacher came in. What you could see of his face was blank and void of emotion but Naruto could see the worry in his eyes.

"How're you guys doing?"

When none of them responded other than cringing further back against the direct wind coming through the open tent flap, he turned around to zip it back up and shake the frozen white flakes out of his hair.

"Sorry… I can't contact anyone inside the village right now. The storms too bad so we're gonna have to rough it out for the night." He said, his eyes growing worried as he noticed the genin's bright red skin. They seemed be shivering uncontrollably. Then again he was pretty sure he was shaking too.

His eyes narrowed at the sight of Sasuke curled up away from the other two but said nothing as he knew the boy was exhausted from his fight.

It had been early that morning, after completing their mission to pick up some scrolls in the land of rice. They had left early in the morning, wanted to get back by nightfall-so much for that. Everything had been fine until they had been attacked by a group of ninja determined to get the scrolls for their own village. There had been five of them and each of the genin had taken one on while Kakashi had taken on the leader and his right hand man- or so they thought.

Team seven realized later, that just before the other five ninja attacked, their leader had doubled back letting his right hand man assume position as leader. While Kakashi was busy with who he thought was leading them, Sasuke, who'd been keeping the scrolls in his backpack took on the true leader.

Kakashi was proud that the boy had been able to hold his own for quite a while before Kakashi realized what was going on and quickly took down his two so that he could help Sasuke. It was quick- he simply sweeped in while he was busy with Sasuke, took him down, then turned to deal with the two Naruto and Sakura had been doing very well with on their own.

In that time Sasuke had exhausted a mass load of his chakra, and Sasuke, being Sasuke wouldn't allow himself help as he got up and walked the rest of the way on shaky legs. Only now he could see the kid's strength coming back. He may be cold, but at least he was resting. He hadn't had to worry about Naruto with the Kyuubi and Sakura hadn't needed to use much herself.

"But S-S-Sensei, we're going to freeze." Naruto moaned. Sakura whimpered weekly, and Sasuke just continued to look on at the man.

"I know…but come on…it's not that bad" Kakashi said with a light smile, however, he knew it was bad. The walls of the tent blocked the wind but not the cold.

"Look… I was able to warm up a blanket with some jutsu, here." He said walking over and putting the now warmer dark green blanket he'd been holding against him over Sakura and Naruto.

He hadn't thought to bring many blankets on this trip not expecting weather like this, so they sadly only had the frozen sleeping bags the genin were laying in, and the two blankets he had brought for himself as he'd ripped his sleeping bag on his last mission. He gave the second one to the kids who not only just had the cold sleeping bags but were also wearing only thin t-shirts and shorts.

"Sensei?" Naruto said glancing inconspicuously at his team mate and rival.

"I'll take first and second watch tonight." He said. "Sasuke when I come back to check on you guys-I don't care how big your ego is-you better be over here with the others."

He only gave a humph that could either mean, I understand, Whatever, I understand but you can forget it, or Screw you Sensei. It just happened that none of them could tell which one it was this time.

Kakashi walked over to Sasuke, grabbing his face with his cold hand and forcing Sasuke to look at him.

His whole face was red and icy cold in his fingers but he seemed to be regaining his strength and chakra. Sasuke wrenched his face away from his teacher with a growl and Kakashi got up, turning to open the flap of the tent. All three cringed back again.

"I'll be back in a bit, try to get some sleep." He said "And Sasuke, you heard me."

Once the flap was closed again and their sensei gone, no one said anything. Everyone merely glanced at each other for a minute.

"Sasuke…" Sakura said.

Before she could continue he said "Shut up."

"Sasuke…" Naruto continued for her.

"I said just shut up dobe. You're wasting your heat" He said with a sneer "And your voice is giving me a headache."

"No!" Naruto shouted. "My voice isn't giving you a headache. The cold is giving you a headache! Your weak chakra is giving you a headache… but my voice isn't giving you a headache! Why don't you swallow that stupid pride you seem to think you have and listen to Kakashi Sensei? You don't think he's cold too? You don't think he's tired? He only had the two blankets and gave one of them to us, plus offered to take the first two watches, and saved your stupid butt from that ninja freak today! Stop being such a teme and get the hell over here."

"No!" Neither Sakura nor Naruto had ever heard him yell quit so loudly. "Just shut the hell up and leave me alone! Who the hell do you think you are? Just shut up you weak, disgusting loser!"

Everybody fell silent as Sasuke finished, his fingers clutching at his own head. He fell over onto his side and pulled the sleeping bag around him as tight as possible.

"Sasuke?" Sakura whispered.

"I'm sorry, just please, shut up." He whispered.

The only sound that could be heard for the rest of the night was the harsh wind whistling through the tiny cracks in the tent flaps, chattering teeth, and quiet breathing as the three ninja did their best to stay warm and sleep.

It was hard to keep your eyes closed while every whistle of the wind brought with it another cold blast of air, but huddled against each other with the now heated blanket that kind of jump started their generating body heat had them soon resting in a little nest of warmth. Naruto knew he would likely be woken in a few hours for third watch. That was usually his watch after Sasuke but if Kakashi was going to take his watch then it didn't really make a difference.

Before long, Sakura was pressed tightly against his chest, breathing softly, and he still couldn't get to sleep. Any other day he would have jumped at the chance to have her against him like this, but something was wrong. It just didn't feel right to leave Sasuke there in his shorts and frozen sleeping bag while they were in their own little world over here.

Naruto wished his sensei would come back like he'd said. He knew he was going to come back and check on them like he said, he just didn't know when. If Kakashi weren't so cocky, he probably would have come back already to make sure Sasuke had done what he had said. Instead, he'd probably just assumed –even knowing each of their separate personalities-Sasuke had followed his orders. Or something like that anyway.

Naruto had thought it was so cool how Kakashi had swooped in and just killed all those ninja that attacked them today without breaking a sweat. Well, mostly, he'd probably gotten kind of nervous when he noticed they were being played. He knew he would…but then again he wasn't a very accomplished jounin himself. Kakashi'd been so calm and confident. He wanted to be like that one day.

That was the last thought Naruto had before he slipped into unconsciousness.

Meanwhile Sasuke lay on his side. His body had stopped being cold not too long ago, and a strange feeling had overcome him. His head had stopped hurting, his teeth had stopped chattering, and the quiet sound of the whistling wind had stopped bothering him. Sasuke tried to turn over-to see if Sakura and Naruto were asleep. He didn't hear the sound of chattering teeth or ragged breathing anymore and found it strange. However he thought it more strange that he couldn't make his body turn…or move at all for that matter. Maybe he had used up more chakra then he'd originally thought. Maybe he should have listened to his sensei. Sasuke laid still and silent as he waited for sleep to overcome him.

"Sasuke….Sasuke…" A strange hazy whisper filled Sasuke's ears as consciousness gradually overcame him.

"Sasuke...Sasuke buddy, you have to wake up." It sounded so familiar…the voice…

It almost sounded as if someone was calling his name but it just didn't…

"Sasuke, open your eyes…come on"

Was that…

"Kakashi Sensei?" What was he doing here? It wasn't Sasuke's shift yet? That was what he was thinking as he forced his eyes open. Kakashi never woke them before their shifts unless there was a threat. That was so weird. It was strange…why we're his eyes so heavy…almost stuck together even? Why was his body so heavy? Why couldn't he get himself to move?

"Sasuke…" Kakashi sighed, relieved to see the boy wake up. To see his eyes open, even if his eyelashes still looked to even be frosted over.

"Hmm…where am I?" Sasuke looked around himself in confusion. This wasn't his tent. Where we're Sakura and Naruto? What was going on? Why did his body ache so badly while at the same time felt completely numb.

He tried to reach down to his pants under the thick blanket around him trying to get a kunai out of his pouch. Something was wrong. This wasn't his teacher…this wasn't his tent. However, he was frozen…why couldn't he move!? And why was he left only in his boxers?

Kakashi watched Sasuke as he looked around himself. Watched him try to move his fingers, watched him trying to reach down, watched him begin to panic when he couldn't, and watched him realize he was almost butt naked.

Ooops, this didn't look good. Maybe he should have thought about waking him up and telling him before undressing him. But honestly, there was no time for this.

"Sasuke its okay…it's me, everything fine."

"W-What's going on?" He asked confused now.

"Sasuke why wouldn't you listen to me when I told you to go sleep near the others? Do you honestly have so little respect for me? For your team mates, and for yourself? You hardly feel my hand on your back right now do you? You didn't even know it was there really did you?" He asked when Sasuke's lips parted in confusion.

'You're not cold anymore…you're body aches, and you can't move. Sasuke if you had just listened to me you wouldn't be in this situation right now! Shit! This is my fault. I should have known you wouldn't listen to me but no! I was stupid enough to think you had some common sense…and the decency to freakin listen! I was only doing what's best for you!"

Sasuke whimpered when Kakashi's yelling reverberated through his raw ear canals and into his brain. Kakashi felt his angry eyes soften and his heart clench at the boy's moment of ungaurdedness.

"I'm sorry Sasuke, but I need to get you warmed up. You're very close to a fatal case of frostbite. You're so lucky I came in there when I did or you probably would have lost a limb or two by now. I'm surprised I even have you conscious." He whispered rubbing the boys shoulder gently.

The boy whimpered as Kakashi sensei scooped him up, pulling the warm blanket off.

"Frostbite?" he asked.

"Yes frostbite, and this isn't going to feel good when you get some feeling back but you're going to be fine."

"W-What are you doing" Sasuke asked. Kakashi wasn't really sure if he was able to process what he was saying yet.

Kakashi opened the flap of the tent where Sasuke could see he'd finally gotten a small fire going-probably using jutsu. He reached out and pulled a small bucket in before sealing the door closed and pulling a small piece of cloth from his bag.

Sasuke closed his eyes, his head both light and heavy at the same time. He jumped when he felt a strange tingling sensation in his hands not two minutes later.

Kakashi had taken the bucket of hot water and put it between the boy's legs so that he could keep his hands in it. At first Sasuke didn't seem to notice his hands in the water but it wasn't long before he jumped, opening his wide confused eyes until he saw that his hands had been put into the hot water.

Kakashi took his thick jounin jacket off, putting it around the boy's shoulders before adding the thick blanket around him again. After which he took out a bottle he had previously filled with the warm water and put it to the boy's lips. Sasuke would have fought but was beginning to feel sick so he took it without complaint.

Kakashi closed his eyes for a moment in relief. He didn't think Sasuke would comply to him so easily but relaxed a little when the boy took a few gulps before again leaning his head back against the wall.

Kakashi set down the bottle, leaned down to brush the boy's now damp hair out of his eyes and whispered "I'll be back."

Making sure the tent flap was closed behind him he walked out into the now lightly falling snow, checked to make sure Sakura and Naruto were still asleep, and began walking. Just walking.

When he'd walked back over to the genin's tent a few hours after he'd left before, he wasn't sure whether or not to be surprised Sasuke was still curled up alone in one corner while the other two slept. At first the thought that Sasuke was dead crossed his mind and he panicked. Sasuke's skin had turned a scary shade of violet, his closed eyelids and lips almost indigo and his hair, eyelashes, clothes, and sleeping bag were thinly coated in frost.

His heart had stuttered a minute but he calmed down a little when he heard the thin, ragged breathing coming from between his lips. The snow and wind had gotten worst as Kakashi had been standing guard but it had begun to calm by then. Kakashi had then snapped in to action, strong anger raging through his body at the boy. The stupid, arrogant boy! He had thought until he remembered his own childhood.

He'd still been quit young at the time,sent on a mission with Obito, Rin, and Minato sensei. They were tracking a group of ninja from the land of waves but had been unexpectedly been hit with such a storm it had blown the roofs of some of the smaller houses in the area.

At that point they decided to rest for the night. Put up their tents and take out all their blankets to keep warm. Kakashi remembered being angry at having to waste his time there when he could be finishing off the missions. He didn't dare do so but once everyone went to sleep, pride got the best of him and he'd gone out into the immense wind and blinding snow to just do some extra training. He'd hated being still. Hated doing nothing when he could be training.

By the time Minato sensei had shown up, he'd collapsed in the snow, exhausted from his training and frozen by the storm.

"Kakashi what the hell do you think you're doing?" he'd yelled. Kakashi had kept his eyes closed, ignoring him.

With an annoyed growl, Minato picked him up and carried him back to the tent. He remembered being in a strange emotional state when the warmth hit him and crying against his sensei's chest. Cried for his lost father, cried for his lost childhood, cried just because he was so tired and so cold and so frustrated. Even now, he still didn't understand why he'd cried that night. Why he'd bawled his eyes out. But he sure as hell knew how embarrassed he'd been when he'd woken up sick and tired the next morning.

And tonight, he finally understood the look on his teacher's face when Minato laid down beside him, and just held him after coming in from the cold air.

"Sensei why the hell would you come get me? Why don't you just leave me alone, I was doing just fine on my own!" He'd said.

Minato pulled him tighter against him.

"Because I care about you Kakashi" he simply said.

Sasuke's situation was a lot worst though. Kakashi had done everything he could to warm him up until he woke up. And even when he'd struggled to open his eyes, all dazed and disoriented the relief Kakashi felt was intolerable. Sasuke's skin had gone back to red and before he'd left the tent to cool himself off, he'd noticed the boy already seemed to be getting feeling back and along with that sickness.

He couldn't blame Sasuke for this. He knew the boy was rough, arrogant, proud. He'd been stupid to not wait and make sure he did what he said. Stupid not to go check on him sooner like his sensei had done for him. He probably would have ended up like Sasuke that night or worst, if Minato hadn't showed up. He hadn't slept in days during that mission. Waking up to nightmares, training all day, that when that wave of exhaustion just hit him, he didn't ever think he would get up.

No, it was his own fault this had happened. It was his own fault his student hadn't listened to him. It was his own fault he'd panicked and failed his student once again. Now all he could do was help him out and be there for him.

Kakashi didn't know how long he'd been walking but it couldn't have been too long. He turned around and started back toward the tent now much calmer than before.

It took about five minutes to get back so he was right about not being too long, however it was a long time when you were sitting in a tent with your skin defrosting.

When Kakashi opened the tent, his eyes widened.

"Sasuke!" he exclaimed. The boy was lying bare in a pool of water beneath him. The blanket and jacket thrown in a heap to the side, the bucket tipped over on the ground and the boys whimpered and ragged breaths the only sound in the quiet night.

"Hey" he said picking him up and re-wrapping the blanket around him as the boy cried and fought against him.

"Sasuke"

"No, no sensei!" He cried as tears began to flow down his cheeks. "Please it hurts, why does my body hurt so bad? It's burning!"

Kakashi's eyes widened, not expecting this reaction. He knew the boy wouldn't feel very good but he never thought the boy would cry this way. Kakashi's heart melted in his chest. Just like him Sasuke never cried. Ever.

"Shhh I know Sasuke I know. Your senses are coming back, your nerves are reawakening. If we we're near the village right now the hospital would have you on sedatives or something to numb the feeling. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He said pulling Sasuke into his arms and putting the jacket around him as well.

"Hmmm….Sensei" He groaned on the verge of screaming as his fingers tried to clutch at the man's shirt.

"Shh Sasuke. It's okay, you're okay, I'm here." He whispered.

Sasuke groaned and whimpered, tightly holding onto his teachers arm and burying his face against his chest.

"I'm sorry sensei, I'm sorry." His voice low and strained.

"Ahhhgg!" He cried

Kakashi held the bundle of blankets close as he over and over simply whispered that it was okay. That it was alright. His voice was soft and soothing in Sasuke's ears, calming him down as the flames covering his skin and head raged stronger.

The tears stopped after a while but the little groans and whimpers escaping him never did that night. Neither did Kakashi's tight. gentle arms around him.

Amidst the pain Kakashi was the anchor. Kakashi was always the anchor, he just never realized it. Never let himself realize it. He was the safe harbor and Sasuke just didn't understand why.

"Sensei" he whimpered before trying to clear his throat a little.

"Why are you helping me? I was the one who chose not to listen to you. To go against what you said. Why don't you just leave me alone? Let me deal with…this pain on my own?" Sasuke panted, though hoped his sensei wouldn't leave him right now with all his heart.

Kakashi seemed to pause for a moment before his arms tightened around the boy.

'Because Sasuke, I care about you."

Sasuke sighed and reburied his face against his sensei's chest, gone to the world. It was a few hours before he was able to calm down enough to sleep but the whole time he bared with it because he knew that even though he'd defied Kakashi, Kakashi bared with him too.

The next morning, Naruto woke up early. He felt groggy and sore all over but very warm. Actually he was even sweating a little where Sakura's breath hit his chest.

He gently moved Sakura's arm so that he could get up without waking her when he suddenly realized he had never been woken for his shift last night. And judging by Sakura's position, neither had she. Had Kakashi sensei stayed up to watch all night? That wasn't right. Even Jounin were always told to take shifts so that they would all have their strength for the day.

He soon found that there was no point in trying to let Sakura sleep when he looked around the tent.

"Sakura!" He shouted "Sakura, Sasuke's gone!"

At Naruto's yell she had woken up but not understood what he said. She quietly rubbed away the grogginess in her eyes and smiled up at Naruto.

"Morning Naruto." She said before she realized the panic stricken look on his face.

Naruto had not forgotten the strange feeling that something was going to happen from last night.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" She asked jumping up from her position.

"Sakura, Sasuke's gone and we were never woken up for our shifts last night!" He shouted.

"What?" She said shocked.

"Are you sure? Did you check outside? Maybe he's already up?" She said.

"Right" Naruto said running to open up the tent flap.

Bright hot sun came into the tent, momentarily blinding them before they looked out and saw the ground covered in white, sparkly fluff.

"Wow" Naruto and Sakura were both momentarily dazed at the pretty sight before them before throwing their shoes on and running into the snow"

"He's not here, he's not here" Naruto said looking around the sight they'd set up camp in. The traps set hadn't been touched, no sight of footsteps other than their own, and the remains of a fire that he guessed Kakashi sensei had managed to light last night.

But why did he bother to try to light a fire? Who knew how long that would have taken? Then again if he was staying up all night in the storm to watch for attacking shinobi he'd probably find another way to stay warm as well.

Giving himself up to complete panic he ran to his teacher's tent with Sakura in tow, trying to quickly open the tent with fumbling fingers. When he finally managed, the sight before him shocked him.

"Kakashi sen-!" he was cut off by Kakashi putting his finger to his masked lips in a "shhh" gesture.

Sitting in the corner of the tent, was Kakashi sensai, with an empty bucket beside him, a pool of water in front of him, and a bundle of blankets with a pale skinned, onyx haired boy sleeping against his chest.

"Oh thank Kami, we though he was missing!" Sakura shouted before realizing what she was looking at.

"Kakashi sensei, what the hell happened last night?" Naruto whispered after a minute snapping out of his shocked faze. Sakura still hadn't gotten over it. He just looked so cute sleeping in her sensei's arms with his wet, sweaty hair, and little hands clutching the teacher's shirt.

"Long story Naruto, Sakura, but I'll tell you on the way back. Right now he just really needs to sleep, and so do I. Why don't you go out and see if you can scavenge some fish and start a fire for breakfast."

The two stood there staring open mouth wide eyed for a second before nodding and turning around to do as they were asked. Just as they secured the tent flap, they heard Kakashi whispering a single sentence before running off.

"Because I care about you Sasuke. Because I care about all of you" he whispered.

* * *

**So what do you think so far? Let me know pleasee:) READ AND REVIEW!**


	2. Self-Drowning Guilt

**Hey guys, thank you all for your reading and reviewing the first chapter, and thanks for coming back to read the next installment of _Sasuke's Heart. _**

**This one and the next are again going to be simple plots before it picks up but this one's kinda long. **

**It's really annoying too write 16 pages of story with your family interrupting every three minutes, so let me know what you think!**

**Nothing belongs to me except for my actual story lines and titles. No copy write is intended.**

**Please enjoy, R+R:)**

* * *

**Sasuke's Heart**

**_#2. Self-Drowning Guilt_**

**By. twilaliars798**

Team seven stood before the Hokage's office, waiting to be called in. They had been summoned almost an half an hour ago already, but still hadn't been allowed entrance.

"What the hell's taking so long?!" Naruto shouted in aggravation.

Sasuke sighed and Sakura quietly nodded along though she secretly wished she could just get up, barge into the office knocking the door off its hinges, and demand to know what the Hokage's problem was calling them here then making them wait so long for her.

When they had first arrived, Kakashi, followed by his three students, had given a curt knock on the door and simply walked right in like he owned the place.

Lady Tsunade had looked up at him in frustration. She had been sitting with a very large, very rough looking man and immediately demanded they get out, she would call them in when she was ready.

"Right, I'm sorry lady Tsunade. Sir." Kakashi had said respectively bowing to them both.

Naruto had chuckled quietly at the way his eyes seemed to narrow in annoyance but when Kakashi had turned to lead them out of the room and Naruto locked eyes with his warning glare, the grin had immediately been wiped off his face. He could have sworn he'd seen Sasuke with a ghost of an amused smile across his lips as well, but it was gone before he could tell.

Once they had left her office, Kakashi had immediately sat down in the one, very ugly, very uncomfortable chair by the office door and pulled out his book. It wasn't five minutes later that the big man had walked out of her office singing some kind of tune from an old folk song. That had been half an hour ago.

"Quiet Naruto, Lady Tsunade's a busy woman" was all Kakashi said now, looking up from his perverted book.

Naruto's hand curled into fists at his sides. "Of course, coming from the man who's two hours late every day!" He continued.

Kakashi sighed. He'd been deliberately ignoring his students for the past twenty minutes, choosing to just stare at the pages of the erotic novel between his fingers and listen to them talk among themselves.

Unlike usual, he hadn't gotten anything but complaints. Not even the beginning of a fight between Sasuke and Naruto. By this point he should have already had Sasuke threatening Naruto with murder in his sleep if he didn't shut the hell up.

"Ugh why do we have to sit here waiting for the stupid old grandma when we can be out in the sun training?" Naruto moaned.

Their complaints, plus having to sit here waiting for the busy Miss Hokage to finally be ready for them had Kakashi snappy with aggravation.

"Watch it Naruto" He said standing up to stretch his arms and legs out.

Naruto growled to hold back a smart remark, after which the only thing heard was the sound of Sasuke's humphed chuckle.

"Is there something you find funny?!" Naruto snapped, turning to the smirking boy.

He just humphed again and shook his head.

Naruto let out another growl beginning to advance on the other boy.

Sasuke stood up from against the wall and faced him back, head on. Just as Naruto pulled his fist back in preparation of a strike, the big old office doors opened, and out walked lady Tsunade.

"Settle down boys"

"Ahh what the hell took you so long grandma?!We've been waiting for you for like three hours!"

Kakashi sighed again taking Naruto by the shoulder and shoving him out of Tsunade's face. She glared down at him like he was a dirty bug on a rug but Kakashi could see the love for Naruto behind it.

"I had other matters to attend to." She said "Now if you'll follow me."

She led the four into her office where she sat in the large chair behind her desk and pulled out a file.

However that's not what the four ninja's focus was on. Instead it what was on the desk.

Sitting in front of the Hokage and a little to her right was a meter high castle made of cards that had definitely not been there when they'd come in here before.

"Ahhh" Naruto growled.

"Ma lady, I assume these were the other matters you were attending to." Kakashi said dully.

"Yes, now then," She continued. "I have a mission for you"

"There have been a number of sightings in the forest by the village gates of some undistinguished ninja. They seem to be waiting for something but we have yet to determine what. They don't seem to be from any desirable area but the people who spotted them say they seem to be plotting some sort of threat to the village. Last point seen was 64,32. Your job, trace and spy on them for a while. Find out what they want. What they're trying to get their sticky paws on."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully.

"But lady Tsunade, wouldn't this be classified as a higher ranked mission?"

She sighed "Kakashi, I didn't say you were to attack them, just find out what they're plotting…what they want and report back. Besides, if you were able to handle your team on that S ranked mission back in wave then I'm sure they'll be fine"

"Hmm" He nodded.

"Be ready and out of the village in an hour" Tsunade ordered.

The boys had listened to the mission they were to accomplish, but as Kakashi and Tsunade spoke they whispered to each other in voices barely audible to themselves.

Kakashi agreed with the Hokage and turned to leave the office making sure that the three followed him out. However, just as he opened the door to exit, Naruto and Sasuke doubled back in an almost invisible motion.

Naruto, as dramatically as possible-just because we all know Naruto-struck the house of cards sitting on the desk, sending them all waving in the air. Then with all the attention on Naruto, none of them noticed Sasuke making hand signs until he was spitting a small fireball jutsu that burned all two hundred cards to crisps before they all landed at their feet.

"Yieahhh!" Naruto and Sasuke only had time to high five each other before a set of bird masked Anbu appeared out of nowhere, grabbing them by the tops of their arms and throwing the two out onto the street. As the door was closed behind them, all that was heard was Lady Tsunade's terrifying voice shouting,

"Na-ruuu- tooooo!"

...

It was an hour later that Naruto and Sakura walked towards the village gates packed and ready. When they'd been kicked out of the Hokage's tower an hour ago, the Anbu had been livid.

"Do you have any respect for your elders' boy!?" One had shouted while the other one fought with Sasuke who knew he wouldn't get out of the tight grip but struggled anyway.

"Oh relax!" Naruto shouted. "We were just having a little fun…hehehe…hey she was the one who kept us waiting so she could build a card castle anyway!"

Sakura and Kakashi trailed behind the two Anbu, Naruto, and Sasuke.

"Sir, they were umm… just practicing their skills." Kakashi said seriously while all three genin could see the amusement in the grown man's eyes.

"Don't you dare defend them Hatake!"

Then Naruto and Sasuke had been thrown out the door to land on their butts in the old dusty road, the large doors slamming behind them.

Kakashi had outright chucked then turned to look back at them.

"Funny…" He said "But don't do it again. I don't want you losing your chances because you decided to threaten your Hokage"

"Hehe" Naruto laughed "you know you loved it."

The sensei's eyes had turned up in indication of a smile. "Yea, you don't know how many times I've wished to do that, but I really don't want to lose my job."

"Okay we won't" Naruto had laughed. Sasuke and Sakura had nodded along with him though both boys' eyes had a dangerous gleam to them.

Now Naruto and Sakura walked silently and quickly in the direction of the gate, hyped up for their mission.

"Do you think Kakashi Sensei's gonna be late for this?" Naruto asked with a big smile on his face.

"I certainly hope not…but knowing him…" Sakura said and Naruto thought she looked beautiful with the sun gleaming against her bright pink hair.

Meanwhile Kakashi was already waiting at the village gate. He may always be late, but he really hadn't had to go back and pack anything he didn't already have for this mission. So while the three had gone back home to pick up their stuff, Kakashi had sat in a tree and turned to a random page in his book. Sasuke had arrived about thirty minutes later, apparently not having anything better to do either.

Kakashi watched as Sasuke sat down right under the tree he happened to be sitting on. He watched him as silently as if he was tracing another ninja he wished to get information from as Sasuke crossed his arms over his stomach, leaned his head back against the tree, and closed his eyes.

He seemed be slightly more out of it than usual. Quiet and his eyes not really focused on anything before he'd closed them.

"Kakashi, stop staring at me. It's weird." When the boy's voice broke the silence, Kakashi stepped back a little, shocked. How had Sasuke known he was there? He hadn't made a sound. He couldn't possibly have read his chakra signature, especially with that unfocused look in his eyes. Looking down at him he saw the boy's eyes were still closed.

"Are you alright Sasuke?" Kakashi asked jumping down to land perfectly in front of him.

"Yea, I'm fine." He responded. "Just thinking"

Kakashi continued looking down at him until the boy opened his eyes to glare back. Even then he continued to look.

"What!?" Sasuke said getting really annoyed at his teacher now.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Ughh yea I'm fine... I just …have… a bad feeling about this… I'm sure it's nothing"

Kakashi nodded "what kind of bad feeling?"

Sasuke just glared at him for a moment again before nodding and closing his eyes. Kakashi just dropped it.

"Sasuke can I ask you how you knew I was here? You didn't seem to notice I was watching you"

"Umm…Your chakra" Sasuke said in an attitude that implied it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"But my chakra was-"

"Hey team! You ready?"

That's when the number one knuckle head ninja and pinky finally decided to appear, interrupting their conversation.

Suddenly Sasuke's eyes we're open and focused again. His mind was open and alert. Kakashi saw it as soon as he got up, picking up his backpack. Like a true ninja, his mind went right back into mission completion mode.

And before Kakashi could ask him how he had sensed his chakra, Sasuke's backpack was over his shoulders and he turned towards the opening gates.

"Aright then…let's go."

Kakashi followed Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura passed the gate and into the trees.

"Alright, Tsunade said they were last seen at point 64, 32. Keep your chakra signature as hidden as you possibly can and let's go."

The three genin followed Kakashi through woods, quickly, and silently. It wasn't long before they caught the smell of a dead fire, followed by cooked rabbit, and five chakra signatures. Two very weak, while the other three were obviously at least at jounin level power.

"Kay we're probably going to reach them in a minute. When you do, stay completely silent, if you can hear them, they can hear you. And you all know that if you aren't completely hidden and can see them, then they can see you. Stay hidden." Kakashi said forcefully.

"Like Tsunade said, we just have to find out what they're doing, so no matter what, you don't attack them unless spotted and threatened. You'll all spread out, but stay in seeing range of each other…and watch for my signal"

Sasuke rolled his eyes but otherwise they all shook their heads in a single nod.

Kakashi was right. Only a meter later, the four reached the edge of a small clearing currently being resided in by two huge tanned skin men, a boy, probably in his mid teenage years, and a young boy and girl probably around ten years old. Kakashi nodded, and the three spread out, following his instruction.

"Uncle, can we go home yet?" The small girl with bright red hair, sharp features, and brown eyes asked one of the huge men in an obviously annoyed tone.

"No imouto, uncle says we get to start the plan in the morning." Wow the boy looked nothing like the girl's brother with his soft features and warm brown hair.

"First of all!" She stood up, turned to face him and pointed a finger right at his nose as she yelled.

"Do not call me that, I'm the same age as you! Second, what the hell do I care, this is the stupidest plan ever. I want to go home!" Naruto had to stifle a laugh at the girl's expression. It looked all too familiar.

"Are not!" the boy shouted. "I'm older by twenty seven second, and this is not-"

"Shut up! We are on a mission!" Both kids jumped at the teenagers load demanding tone.

"No, you shut up…You can't tell us what to do!"

Sakura and Sasuke both rolled their eyes at the children's stupidity-they should both know what it means to be on a mission at their age.

That's when the biggest of the men got up, throwing the bone to his rabbit leg on the floor, and shouted.

"No, all of you shut up! Like he said we are on a mission, and if you lot are going to act like a bunch of children then we're going to treat you as such. When you are done eating, you will all go to bed!"

"What!" The two stupidly yelled again, turning to him. "but…uncle-"

"No, no but…shut up and finish your dinner."

The older boy sighed and sat down again, his face melting into a satisfied smile.

"Thank you tousan" He said

"Ah don't thank me, that goes for you too, if we can't grab those scrolls, aren't ready to kill if we have to, and run back to the village tomorrow, first we'll be killed by the master, and then we'll be killed by the-"

"Quiet brother" the other big man said, finally deciding to cut off the other. "We're too close to the leaf village to be talking this way. All of you keep quiet."

That's when the genin could finally tell the two bigger men apart. While one had a hard, load authorative voice-Mr. Bossman, Naruto would probably say- this one had a soft husky voice, almost like that of the teenagers.

"Nonsense!" Mr. Bossman bellowed. "No one will hear us out here. At the crack of dawn, you two children will roll yourselves in the mud, rip your clothes up a bit and stuff, run into the village, and Lady Hokage over there won't be able to resist taking you in to help poor innocent children."

Ohh it now made so much more sense why they would bring such obviously unskilled young ninja on a mission like this. They were planning to get into the village using these two as bait. Kakashi only hoped his three students understood what was going on.

"I was watching our imouto talk to lady Tsunade today. He warned her about our plans to attack the village but not what we were going to do and how we're going to do it. I don't think they have a clue as to who we are and what we're really after…"

Everything suddenly snapped together in Kakashi's head. The man they had all seen today, sitting in Tsunade's office had the same, big rough figure these two had. The same small head with very little purple hair and very big funky bodies. That had been these two men's brother. That had been the man warning the Hokage about the raid on the village these men were planning. However, the man must not have known or given the location of these ninja because at the same time the lady had been getting reports about the strange unknown men in the forest near the gates. But there was still something odd about this case.

He looked over to see the genin, all watching the conversation gapped mouthed and completely focused.

That's when everything went wrong.

The sound of snapping branches was heard from the opposite side of the clearing. The four watching ninja jumped at the sound, the five in the clearing went dead silent for less than half a second before they all spread out into some kind of formation.

It all happened too fast after that. None of them could get a grip on how fast these ninja were, it wasn't possible. Each of them –even the obnoxious children- sent about a dozen kunai ricocheting into the surrounding trees. More than half of them were directed towards team seven and the blinding speed at which they flew at had even Kakashi nearly getting hit a couple times, Sakura was lucky enough to be pressed close enough to a crevice in a tree that she only had duck into it when they got close to her but Naruto and Sasuke were doing their best to stay out of the weapons' way.

Kakashi saw the whole thing play out from the moment of impact before it even happened. He saw their cover get blown, saw the angle at which the kunai' were coming at, and saw the blood dripping down the kids body. And he saw that he had no time to stop it.

He knew that in the next instant, the last two kunai would make contact with Sasuke's body-his lower stomach to be exact. Naruto and Sakura would both scream as Sasuke fell back trying to catch his breath from the impact, blowing their cover. Followed by Sasuke's cry of shock and pain when he finally managed to breathe and feel again, a battle 'till the end, and the desperate rush to get him back inside the village without causing him too much pain on the ten minute run back.

And that's almost exactly what happened. The kunai flying anywhere near Naruto finally stopped and Sakura slowly crawled out to him as he sighed and sat back heavily on his butt. Kakashi could see he was fine, other than the small scrape on his hand already healing. Sakura had no injury at all and they were plenty close together now. Good, this gave Kakashi hope that they wouldn't be caught spying by these people.

Kakashi got to Naruto and Sakura just as the last two kunai made contact with the soft skin of Sasuke's lower stomach, just as he'd said. He covered the two bright genin's mouths as they prepared to scream when Sasuke fell back onto his ass, his eyes wide and his mouth open in shock. This was probably one of the moments Kakashi hated most. The inability to breath and the adrenaline in your body finally slowing to a stop.

"Not a sound." Kakashi whispered so quickly he could only hope the two had heard him. He assumed they did when he didn't hear them cry out a second later. His heart clenched at not having been able to stop this before it happened, even if it demanded getting hit himself. While his kids had not yet sustained any true battle injuries like this, he had dealt with them plenty.

Just as Sasuke's feeling and breath finally caught up with the rest of his body Kakashi reached him. From behind, one arm went across the boy's chest in support and hopefully some form of comfort, while the other pressed over his mouth as Sasuke's eyes squeezed shut and his lips parted to scream out his pain.

"Don't scream, don't scream, don't scream." Kakashi chanted close to the boy's ear as he watched his fingers clutch at the hard bark beneath him.

"Sasuke don't scream, don't scream." He knew Sasuke understood why he couldn't scream, why he was to stay silent. Knew Sasuke didn't want to scream but what was taught in the academy was a completely different story than being on a real mission. This was the first injury he'd ever sustained to this degree, the first time he had two kunai buried to the hilt within his abdomen….and because of this his body couldn't keep cool, couldn't truly process what he was to do, how he was supposed to contain himself, how he shouldn't react while his mind did.

Once the stiff feeling that showed Kakashi his wish to scream left his body, leaving him panting and flushed, Kakashi picked him up, still keeping the hand over his mouth and turned to Naruto and Sakura.

"Sakura go back to the village, get some medics, Naruto stay where you are, focus on the mission. I'll be right back."

With tears in her eyes, Sakura turned, swiftly and silently going back for help. Naruto, his eyes wide and his mouth still agape took a moment to process what Kakashi said before turning back to the clearing, but his mind couldn't focus on what he was seeing. It was too busy thinking, the Uchiha, the village's little prodigy, his frie- I mean enemy, had gotten hurt. Had two knives digging into his stomach.

Meanwhile Kakashi ran, jumping from branch to branch until he reached the highest branches strong enough to support his weight. There, he put down the flushed, panting boy and took the hand away from his mouth.

Sasuke's face was pale, his eyes watery with unshed tears, his lips and teeth clenched tightly together. Kakashi got him leaning back against the tree gently before taking out his own kunai. Sasuke flinched as Kakashi brought it down close to his body.

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." Kakashi whispered to him making sure to look him strait in the eyes and brushing the hair out of his face.

"Your okay" He said, then as carefully as possible, used the kunai to cut the shirt off of the boy's small figure.

"Kuso!" Kakashi said going pale as he fully saw the two knives embedded in the soft milky flesh. There was little blood, which meant that they were enough to block the pools of blood Kakashi knew would come once the medics got here, but this looked bad. And he knew from experience it hurt like hell.

"Sasuke-kun, you're going to be fine okay. Everything's gonna be okay. Just don't move. Sakura went to get someone to help you."

"No!" Sasuke's eyes finally met his. "No I don't need-"He didn't finish his sentence, instead falling into a fit of heavy panting as his body involuntarily pulled upright and rigid. Kakashi's heart clenched at his pained moan and he rubbed his back trying to ease his breathing until he was leaning back against the tree again.

"I'll be right back." He whispered and flew back down towards their original point.

Naruto was staring, openly shocked at the scene in the clearing. Kakashi knelt beside him and took a look only to see who had caused the interruption before. Who had caused the sound of the breaking branch.

"I'm afraid your wrong brothers. The leaf is completely ready to fend you off in the morning. As we speak they are assembling a team to watch for you. I only wish you wouldn't bring our niece, nephew, and your son into this."

It was exactly as Kakashi had previously though. In the clearing joining the others now, was the man from Tsunade's office this afternoon. Their brother.

"Kakashi" Naruto whispered.

"Shh" was the only response he got.

"I don't know how you can betray the family like this brother. Your own people…your own niece and nephew. Don't try guilting us out of this with them. At least they are loyal to us even at this young age and my son is fully prepared for this battle. The leaf may be warned, but we will still have our victory."

"Do as you wish brothers" The youngest responded to the one with the teenager's voice. "But leave the children be. Mika, Rykumo, Mizera, come. Let them do as they wish but don't throw yourselves into this battle."

All three children laughed cruelly.

"Leave us alone uncle. We won't betray this family like you did. We'd give our lives for it."

The man sighed. "Suit yourselves then. I really hope they have mercy to you children, but you brothers, I hope they lock you up for life. Those scrolls will destroy our family once in the master's possession. Not to mention this whole thing is a suicide mission. I wish you…luck" He said. Then he turned around, and walked off into the forest away from the leaf.

The men sat down but the children still didn't relax their positions and they laughed.

"Did you honestly believe we didn't hear you in the trees?" Bossman asked.

Naruto looked up at Kakashi questioningly. Kakashi said nothing just holding a finger to his lips.

"I mean, we probably wouldn't have known if we hadn't heard the Kunai's impact on the boy. I mean, I'm surprised he didn't scream. Sounds like it went in deep. Where is he now?" Teenage voice asked before Bossman got up.

"You can just come on out now, ninja, we know you are there. "Both laughed and the other got up as well.

"Ohh come on, no point in hiding."

Kakashi took Naruto shoulder knowing the men would say no more about their plans and directed him away from the clearing, towards the point he'd left Sasuke. However before they could take a second step, another kunai whistles through the air, snagging Naruto's jacket and pinning him to the tree nearest to them. His eyes widened and he struggled to release himself. Kakashi turned just in time to block the sword of Bossman being aimed to stab him through the back.

And the battle began, moving too fast for Naruto's eyes to catch too much through the thick wildlife. All he could do was listen to the sounds of the metal and fists clash against each other, hand signs being made, and at one point, hear, see, and smell a ball of jutsu made fire. He just hoped Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi were okay as he struggled to unpin himself.

Meanwhile Kakashi was beginning to tire. These men, despite not talking, or looking like ninja, were putting up one hell of a battle-even the two little ones who seemed to have a role of staying in the way of Kakashi's advances of the bigger men. This was all too frustrating especially as his mind kept wandering back to where he'd left Sasuke panting at the top of the tree. He wondered what was keeping Sakura. What was taking the medics so long?

The only thing Kakashi was grateful for was that none of his students would have to fight these men. They were completely ruthless. Vicious and cold hearted. And Kakashi knew exactly where Naruto was pinned against a tree with a kunai buried as …deep…as the ones in…Sasuke's…stomach. He wasn't getting out of there and that was good-he would be safer there.

As Naruto struggled, Kakashi blocked another onslaught of blows from Bossman's tanto while dodging vicious blows from the actual teenager's fists.

Just as Naruto finally broke free, teenage voice directed a killing blow towards Kakashi's chest and….something stopped it. Looking around, Kakashi saw a team of jounin assembled around him all holding on to one of the men…and little lady. All of them struggled and fought against them, but had no chance of breaking loose.

"You good Kakashi? Naruto?" Gai asked as he kicked down the young teenager and held him to the ground.

"Yea-"Kakashi looked up cutting himself off as he just realized Naruto had gotten free. Wondered how long he'd been there.

"I think we're both fine Gai Sensei" Naruto said to finish Kakashi's sentence off. Kakashi shook his head and nodded in confirmation.

"Kay then go. Show the medics where Sasuke is. We'll handle this." Kurenai said as she began tying the hands of Bossman behind his back.

Naruto and Kakashi turned to see an assembly of three medics, Sakura, and Asuma behind them.

"This way" And the five followed the two ninja up into the trees.

Sasuke now had his head back against the rough bark, his eyes shut, and his breath coming out in heavy pants.

The medics immediately surrounded him and his eyes shot open. A fearing gasp escaped his lips and he tried to move away. Seemingly trying to hide himself and blend into the tree that supported him.

"No" he whispered. "No go away"

Naruto was shocked at the sight of Sasuke's pale, flushed face, the whimpers escaping him, and most importantly, the two silver ends of the kunai protruding from his now exposed belly.

"No, Sensei" Sasuke cried as the ninja advanced to examine him. He struggled to move away from them. Their hard stares and white gloves. Struggled to move, but the tree behind him suddenly became his sensei's chest, his sensei's warm arms around him. He didn't understand why that comforted him.

"It's alright Sasuke" the soothing voice whispered to him. "Just hold still. They're going to help you."

He knew that trying to help, would just make it hurt more. "No" he whimpered again as Sakura and Naruto sat down beside the rest. Both kids were shocked. Never did they think Sasuke this way.

"C'mon teme, just relax man." Naruto said awkwardly not really sure what else to do.

Kakashi held Sasuke tighter, and the medics began their examination with a lot of fancy words and scary meanings. Kakashi seemed to understand what they were saying, but Naruto and Sakura just glanced at each other.

"Okay, get some cloth ready" One suddenly said as another pulled up one of their three bags. Naruto could see that it was loaded with tons of gauze, creams, and bandages.

As one pulled out a pile of soft, clean white towels, one took note of Sasuke's heart rate, and the last, sitting directly in front of him looked up at Kakashi. None of them could tell whether they were male or female. Kakashi tightened his grip around the boy, and nodded. Then the medic carefully wiped the sweaty bangs out of Sasuke's face, and faster than possible, gripped the hilts of the kunai, wrenching them both out of the raw flesh in a single ruthless motion.

The eardrum shattering scream that erupted from the boy had Sakura in tears, Naruto's ever present smile gone, and Kakashi, struggling to hold onto a crying, thrashing Sasuke as the blood that had been building burst through the open wound and spread onto the towels the other was now holding extremely tightly against it.

"Ahhhaahhhggg!"

"Shh Sasuke, shh its okay, it's okay!" Kakashi whispered frantically. Sakura turned and ran down to the ground as the sight of the large pool of blood rocked her. Naruto followed and sat beside her as she threw up whatever she'd eaten that day.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto whispered when she was done.

Instead of the warm sad look in her eyes like Naruto expected, he was surprised by the furiousity in them.

"Naruto, why would Kakashi do that?! Why would he let Sasuke get hurt like that? He should have helped him…what the hell!?"

"Sakura did you see how fast those…" she cut him off apparently knowing what he was going to say

"Yeah I saw how fast they were coming, and I also saw how Kakashi managed to dodge them all. If he wanted to-!"

"But Sakura-"

Naruto tried to interrupt again but she just continued raging.

"nah-uh, he could have stopped it if he wanted to but-! "

"Quiet both of you!" Asuma's voice made them jump as he suddenly appeared beside them.

"Sakura this is your sensei you're talking about, have more respect. You have no idea what was going through his mind. I know for a fact that if he could have done something to prevent this he would have…for any one of you. Kakashi's suffered a lot in his life- if you'd bothered to actually talk to him you'd probably be able to tell! It's not my story to tell but Kakashi lost pretty much everyone he ever truly cared about when he was younger and you guys are the first he's ever let himself care about this much in a long time so if I were you, I'd shut the hell up. Because he would have done everything to prevent this if he could. He's actually berating himself for this right now!"

With that said, Asuma didn't even wait for a response. He turned around and shot back up through the trees as Naruto and Sakura stared shocked to silence at each other. Even Sakura's tears had been shocked to stillness at Asuma's outburst.

Back in the trees, Sasuke was still outright sobbing miserably. Tears running down his cheeks and his hands trying to rip away the hand of the medic pressing the towels down on him. Kakashi couldn't take it. Watching this boy breaking down in front of him. Kami this was his fault! Why had he let this happen? Why couldn't he be faster? Why couldn't he stupidly run around the way Gai did? He'd let his student get hurt. Almost fatally hurt. Failed someone he cared about again. The only thing he could do now was hold Sasuke against him and rub small circles into his chest and shoulders.

"Ahhgg st-stooop!"

The medic only pulled its hand away from his and pressed a new towel down harder on him.

"Hmmmm….Sens-"his next cry was cut off by an ugly heart breaking cough and gurgling.

An outsider would have simply thought he was going to throw up or choking or something, but Kakashi knew the feeling of being drowned in your own body all too well. Knew the desperation of trying to get out whatever was blocking your air and causing the awful taste in your throat all too familiarly.

Sasuke's panting turned to choked off gasps as he struggled with the blood flooding his throat…his everything? It felt like he was drowning. Like the blood wasn't just in his esophagus but spreading throughout his lungs, chest, nose.

Fear gripped him as he struggled for breath and he hardly noticed when Kakashi shifted so that he was leaning forward as the man patted his back.

"It's alright Sasuke, cough it up. Cough it up."

With the rough beating against his back, he had no choice. He couldn't have stopped the coughing even if he wanted to. Blood spewed from his lips helping his body expel it and air came through his lungs. Though more still came, it wasn't as much as the original flood. Instead of the sinking Titanic, it was more like a slowly sinking paddle boat.

Kakashi's hand stopped hitting for a moment, instead becoming gentle circles easing the tense muscles in his back.

"Sensei-"Sasuke got between coughing fits. "I'm-I'm dro-dro" The scared, urgent tone left Kakashi with a strange itchiness in his eyes.

"Shh" He whispered already understanding. "You're not…you're not drowning. Here."

Kakashi put a cold bottle of water to the boys lips knowing it would help get rid of some of the blood. It wasn't difficult to get him to sip it. Sasuke was never naturally very fussy. Actually Kakashi was surprised he'd even thrashed around the way he had.

Sure enough the water had him cough up the last of what was blocking his throat leaving only enough to make him nervous and Kakashi feeling like a monster.

He did this…this was his fault, he couldn't help but think. Why couldn't he have blocked the attack?

"Alright, we have the blood slowed down. Kakashi you have to move. Let us wrap the bandages so we can move him. Go take a break"the only one of the nurses with a male voice directed.

Kakashi sighed and nodded, lifting Sasuke's head off his chest and moving out from under him. He was surprised that his legs actually felt weak, though not from exhaustion.

He rubbed at his shiny eyes and walked down a few levels when the medics turned to start pulling out some gauze. It would have to do until they could get him to the hospital. They kept watch on how pale he was, nervous that he'd lost too much blood, but they were almost done now. They would be back in the leaf soon.

Kakashi however was beyond nervous. He was mad. Mad at himself, mad at the enemy ninja, mad at Sasuke, and mad at the medic nins. He was upset, his eyes itchy with unshed tears, his heart beating heavily in his chest, the fists clenched at his sides, his steps stiff. He was ashamed. For not stopping it before it happened, for having Sasuke have an injury like this at his young age. Kakashi had a rough childhood being one of the children during the third Great War and everythimg. This was the generation that was supposed to relax a little but every one of them seemed adamant at proving themselves, having revenge, or killing someone.

Kakashi was too lost in his thoughts. Wasn't focusing enough. When Asuma came up behind him placing a hand on his shoulder he nearly turned around and stabbed him with a kunai. Kind of ironic.

"Whoa Kakashi relax." He began. "You did good….Kakashi stop looking like that."

"Hey I don't control what Kami gave me." He said sitting on a branch with the corners of his lips hardly lifting for a moment. Not that anyone could tell anyway.

"You know what I mean! Stop blaming yourself. The kid was bound to get hurt sooner or later. He's a ninja for God's sake. You can't protect everyone Kakashi-"

"No' he interrupted. "I can't protect everyone…my friggin job is all about killing people but I should be able to protect my team so stop trying to turn this around."

Silence.

"Sensei, he's right." Naruto said as he and Sakura came up to sit down with them as well. Asuma secretly smiled at the two coming to help. They had understood what he said even though he'd realized after that he'd just exploded at them before.

"You couldn't have done anything so relax. A couple stitches and he's good. At least he's not dead or anything." Sakura said.

"Besides, he's not mad…I've never seen Sasuke like that but I know for sure he's not mad." Naruto smiled brightly. "If he was he wouldn't have wanted you like that. He calmed down when you talked to him. He listened to you and I'm sure everyone knows that if Sasuke doesn't want you near him, he DOESN'T want you near him."

Kakashi got up and sighed, not saying a word. Asuma got up with him and put a hand on his shoulder again.

"It's not your fault." He said before turning to walk away.

Kakashi turned back towards the two genin glumly. "How about you guys? Are you guys okay?"

Naruto got up throwing his hands up to exaggerate as usual "Super-duperly wonderfully perfectly fine!"

Even in his dark, self depressed mood, Kakashi couldn't keep back his single chuckle. "I'm glad." He smiled and the two followed him back up to where the doctors were cleaning up their equipment.

Naruto and Sakura stopped at the top, taking in the sight before them. Sasuke was lying on his back, his eyes closed, his face peaceful, and his pale stomach wrapped with thick white bandages. Other than that, his sweaty flushed skin, his puffy eyes, and his unsteady breathing, he looked as if he was just taking a nap. A good nap.

One of the nurses was looking through another medical bag, and the other two conversed quietly as they packed. Kakashi knelt down beside him, and he opened his eyes to look back up at him.

"I guess this is why I had that bad feeling about today' He murmured. His voice was already returning to normal though still frail and weak. "Did you finish the mission? I'm guessing something happened with all the jounin around here."

Kakashi looked down into the clearing. There we're only two chunin left scouting the area and he had no idea how Sasuke could have seen them.

"How do you know there were a bunch of people here?" He asked confused.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Their chakra?" he said rolling his eyes even in his weakness and fear. Kakashi chuckled. "Yea" he said "I should have known."

"You should always try to follow your instinct Sasuke. Sometimes it might just save you." He took a deep breath brushing his fingers through Sasuke's hair. The boy leaned into it for a minute, closing his eyes. He missed any type of fraternal comfort. That was before he realized what he was doing and pulled away from the man's hand.

"Sasuke I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't able to stop those knives from hitting you. I'm sorry I got you hurt."

Sasuke opened his eyes. He seemed to have a strange confused look on his face.

"Umm…it's okay but why should you be sorry? It's not your fault… I'm the one who couldn't dodge those kunai. I think I need to work on my speed when this heals….But this is just part our job isn't it?"

"Yea, I guess it is, but it's also about protecting those precious to you. And that's what I intend to do a lot better next time."

"Sensei if you try to protect us from this…. We're never going to be…ninja. We need the experience. Any closer and you'll have us tied to your back…. loosen up a little. And if it's about… protecting those precious to you….I think that Naruto, Sakura, and I should talk to Tsunade… about having some kind of intervention for all those books you read…it's not good for you"

Kakashi laughed a seconds, he could see how tired Sasuke was. He seemed to be struggling to form coherent words.

"But what about the mission?" he asked, eyes snapping wide open again.

"Don't worry about that. I'll tell you about it when we get back.

"Sensei my stomach really hurts." He hardly had the breath to form that sentence as his breathing got heavy again.

"Hey take it easy, I know. And I'm sorry to tell you this isn't the worst of it. As a ninja you'll one day have to experience a lot of pain. Weather physically because of some form of injury, or emotionally when you see the ones you love disappear before your eyes. But right now your team is here for you and we're going to get you home. We'll make the pain go away so go to sleep."

Sasuke closed his eyes and was asleep before the medic who came up behind them administered the sedative held. He gave it to him anyway just in case.

Kakashi picked Sasuke up in his arms. He held him against his chest, and wrapping the blanket that the medic nin handed him around him. Sakura took Sasuke's pack for him, while Naruto took two bloody kunai by the hilts. As much as the three fought and pretended to hate each other, made fun of each other and ratted on each other, they we're there for each other. Weather for a laugh, a prank to pull, a shoulder to cry on, or the support of a team. Kakashi knew the three would do well in life. They would always stick together, take care of each other, and Kakashi would do his best to guide and care for them as their teacher as well.

But right now, Kakashi would have to get Sasuke to the hospital and then have a very long talk with Tsunade about making connections between missions, classifying them, and how theirs just happened to turn out this afternoon.

* * *

**Thanks for reading everyone. Please review and let me know what you think. Were there a lot of mistakes? What did you like? What did you hate? **

**If anyone has any ideas for future shots in this story let me know. Doing everything and anything really.**

** I will probably do some when the team is older but not many yet as I've just gotten to Shippuden for those who asked. **

**Leave your comments:)**

**`twilaliars798**


	3. Breathless

**PLEASE READ!**

**Hey everyone, I'm sorry this chapter took so long. Almost exam time at school so everything's getting pretty busy. Who knew teacher could give you this many lessons, tests and projects in a week. And to be honest...I wan't really feeling this one while I was writing. I'm not sure how I feel about it so let me know what you think. Is this story getting too repetitive? So i'm putting up a pole on my profile after this about what I should do next for this story. Put in your votes please. I wanna start ASAP on the next. I took all your ideas into consideration and there were a few I really liked but I still have some ideas right now. Once I'm done with those, I'll start doing your suggestions but I'm not going to do Mpregs, and if there is any sexual content, I'm not really comfortable with actually writing out the lemons. Anyway, please READ AND REVIEW!**

* * *

**Sasuke's Heart: _Breathless_**

**_By. twilaliars789_**

The sun beat down on Team Seven. Their clothes were stuck to their backs, their cheeks pink and sweaty from the heat.

"Ugh…Sensei are we there yet?" Naruto groaned. His feet ached, his limbs were heavy, and his eyes drooped in exhaustion. They had been traveling in this heat for nearly twenty four hours now.

"Just another mile or so." Kakashi said. His voice was strong but the usual amused or mocking tone had gone miles ago. Now he was just as hot and anxious as his students. He turned his head to look back at them as he walked.

Sasuke was a few steps behind him, his breath heavy and his bangs sticking to his forehead, Sakura was a little further behind, huffing and puffing after the long trek, and Naruto was at least another meter behind her, still not over the ledge of the cliff they'd just come up.

"Ughh at this rate we should just go all the way back to the village."

"That can be arranged if you wish." Kakashi said, though he had absolutely no intention of walking all night with the pressure and humidity pressing down on them.

"No!" Both Sakura and Naruto shouted. He even got a "humph" from Sasuke. The kid had way too much pride. Since they'd left, he hadn't let himself lag even a step from where he'd started a few paces behind Kakashi. He measured each pace so that he was always standing exactly three paces behind him.

At one point during the walk, Kakashi had felt bad making them go so far after just finishing a mission. When the sun had been highest in the sky; beating down on them with no mercy, not a cloud in sight, and not a tree for miles. Then he though; they have to learn to be ninja…this is just part of their training…besides, what kind of ninja complains about the heat.

After escorting the futile lord Kona back to his castle. They'd already been tired from that long trek as well as encountering a small group of enemy ninja on the way. Nothing A ranked but they were strong enough to have the three break a sweat. Kakashi and the group fought them off for a minute, Naruto using his very impressive kage bunshine, Sasuke some taijutsu before Kakashi quickly sent a blast of chakra creating a water dragon that sent them retreating through the trees they'd come from.

Now, Kakashi lead the three up a cliff, and then back down the other side to where he knew a small abandoned cabin lay. It would be much easier to stay there for the night then set up camp. He'd stayed there many times himself weather just to rest the night, to wait out some injuries too rough to walk back with, or wait for some backup. Either way he knew that it was a nice place-besides the dust-with three little bedrooms with two really old beds in each of them upstairs, and a small sitting room downstairs.

Kakashi didn't stop when they reached the top of the cliff; just proceeded to start walking back down the other side.

"Ahh are you kidding me! Why couldn't we have just gone around it?" Kakashi looked back. The kid looked like he was about to pass out from heat stroke.

"Naruto have some water, I think you need it. And this way's faster. Don't you trust me?"

"No kidding," Kakashi heard him grumble under his breath. Then what he was supposed to hear-Naruto and Sakura groaning as Naruto opened the water bottle he'd gotten from his pack.

"Sasuke, Sakura, you too." Both kids were slouching over panting in the humid air. Sasuke was extremely pale, still only three paces behind him. The boy had already been taking out his water as Kakashi had said it to Naruto. Hm, smart kid. Had the decency to drink if he needed to without waiting for orders. Kakashi didn't know why the hell they would even wait.

They didn't stop to put it in their bags again, only walked on carrying it and sipping at it once and a while. At least they knew enough not to gulp it all down at once.

The walk back down obviously wasn't as hard as the walk up, but going back down also meant that there was nothing blocking the sun. Now it was just as hot as mid afternoon, though the sun would soon set over the horizon. When it wasn't so warm out Kakashi loved to sit out and watch the sun fall in this area. He'd had to do tons of missions around here. It was the nicest view he ever looked upon. But he was pretty sure he wouldn't be doing that tonight.

He also knew that the three would sleep tonight. No doubt about that. The sun would set and the three would be out like a light. They looked like the walking dead right now. Kakashi took a moment to wonder whether or not they'd be ready if someone attacked them right now. Whether they'd snap out of it and be able to defend themselves. He supposed they probably would but…

"As soon as we get to the bottom of this thing there's a forest. That's where the cabin is, so you'll cool down soon." He told the three, his breathing a little choppy as well.

Sure enough, at the bottom of the forever running hill, a mass of hard brown bark, dark, snaking roots, and bright green leaves welcomed them under their shelter. It was the most inviting sight the three had seen in a long while. All of them rushed forward, one by one crossing over the tree line boarder and collapsing under the largest, nearest tree. An obese sweeping weeping willow.

"Aw come on guys were almost there now." Kakashi sighed, debating on whether or not he should sit down and rest a minute himself. He knew that right now, there was no way he would get them up and moving.

"Hang…on…just…a ...Minute…please…sensei" Naruto panted. His head was swimming and he could feel his heart trying to push through his chest. None of them could remember the last time they felt this way. Probably when they'd started training for endurance and long distance running.

Sasuke felt as if he couldn't breathe, his chest heavy and his head light. He closed his eyes wrapping his arms around his chest to ease the weight he felt there, while Sakura closed her eyes and laid back in the grass.

This was literally supposed to be the hottest day-and night- in the past hundred and sixty years. They'd all heard this as they passed through a tiny village early this morning. Even then- at five in the morning- it was already the usual temperature of a very hot afternoon.

Kakashi sighed letting them catch their breaths and enjoying the cool shade of the tree. He pulled out his usual orange book and sat down, staring at the pages and listening to the wildlife around him. The crickets chirping, the birds singing, and his own heart slowing down.

"How long have we been gone?" Naruto finally asked.

"It's the twenty third so a week I guess." Sakura responded.

"Really? We've been walking for a full twenty hours this way!?" Naruto asked, his eyes widening.

"Yup…" Sasuke responded before he hesitantly turned to the teacher. "It's…really the twenty third today?" He asked quietly.

"Yea…but the sun's setting so it'll be the twenty fourth soon." The teacher answered with a grin beneath his mask.

The boy turned away from him seeming to be looking at nothing.

"I'm gonna go for a walk." He said before getting up and turning into the trees before anyone could say a thing.  
"Huh, that was weird" Naruto muttered. "Isn't he tired…..He looked like the dead a minute ago."

Kakashi shrugged. Yea it was weird that he wanted to go for a walk right now, but he also knew Sasuke was a strange kid with everything that happened in his life. The others may not have seen it, but he saw the sad look in Sasuke's eyes before he left. He'd let the kid go sort out whatever he was thinking about for a while.

Sasuke walked a few miles, breathing deeply to clear his fuzzy mind. It was already the twenty third. He hadn't even realized it. Usually by now the depression would have already set in, preparing him for the following week when all the memories would hit him full force, but he'd been distracted on this mission. Hadn't had time to think about it when he had to make sure that their client wasn't attacked.

How could he just let himself forget something like this was what he was wondering when he realized how far he'd run in such a short time. He'd have to get back, knowing the others would wait for him so that they could head to their shelter for the night. They we're all exhausted and he knew how much they just wanted to get there as fast as possible so they could sleep. Turning around, he started to head back, a little slower than before. There was a weight in his chest that had him slightly worried but he knew it didn't matter. They would soon be back in Konaha, and the depression would finally set in.

The others waited in silence. Sakura figured Sasuke had just had to go to the bathroom or something so he'd be back soon. Five minutes later, he was already back, paler than before with his hand rubbing his chest.

"Sasuke are you okay?" She asked quietly.

"Yea, I'm fine." Was the only thing he responded with.

"Then let's go" Kakashi said without acknowledging how bad Sasuke looked. They set off again. Sasuke still only three steps behind him, and the others following behind.

It took another ten minutes through winding forest paths before they finally stepped through the trees into a small, shrub overgrown clearing, with a tiny wooden cabin off to the side.

"We're here!" Naruto screamed suddenly getting all his energy back. "We're here, we're here, we're here!" He ran towards the small building all the lost happiness and energy of the day coming back full force. Until he whipped the door open so hard that it slammed against the wall and bounces back hitting him in the head.

"Oww…This is where we're staying?" The kid bounced back immediately.

"It's a dump!"

"Naruto, yeah it's dusty but other than that its fine. I've stayed here tons of times. Besides, it's much cooler in there."

The three walked ahead of Naruto into the little house.

"Ohh wow, it is dusty." Sakura said walking in.

Sasuke followed behind her. "Humph…it's fine." He walked right in, dumped his bag on the small couch that just happen to be the only thing in the room other than the carpet and a few cupboards, and turned to look at the others. Naruto and Sakura put their bags down too before all of them turned to look expectantly at their sensei.

He looked at each of them in turn as he picked up all their backpacks, putting the straps of each over his arm. They we're all pale and sweaty; their eyes drooped with exhaustion, and their steps heavy from walking.

"Umm…okay go bathe, there's a lake behind the house. I'll start a fire for dinner than join you."

The three looked at each other as Kakashi handed them their bags again and began pulling some packages from the cupboards.

"I have some extra food stored here from last time so we don't need to have fish again tonight. Umm…there are three bedrooms upstairs. The first on the right is mine, the second is Sakura's, and you boys get the one farther down the hall across from the bathroom–it has two beds. But you might not want to use the bathroom unless you have to brush your teeth or something."

"Kay then." Sakura said turning. She, followed by Naruto and Sasuke began climbing the creaky wooden stairs in the corner. Even upstairs, everything was covered in a thick coat of dust.

They split into their perspective rooms, and cringed.

Both rooms were the same except Sakura's room only had the one bed. On one side of the small room was a twin sized bed facing one way while on the other side there was another facing the opposite wall. On the floor was a thick carpet that would have probably been red some few years ago, and beside each bed was a tiny oak bedside table. Even with the bright orange sky outside, the rooms were dark-the dust wouldn't let any of the light in.

Sasuke dropped his bag in the corner, and walked out without a single word. Naruto sighed. Sasuke had been moody on the whole mission, but for the last twenty minutes- since he'd gone on his walk-he'd been really moody. Eh maybe he was just tired. He knew he was.

Naruto took a minute to fluff the dust off the pillows and blankets on both beds, and then rummaged through both their bags to pull out their own blankets they'd brought and spread them on the beds. With all this dust, he was worried they'd suffocate in the night. He then pulled some towels from the bags, and then went down and out to the others.

Sasuke had a fireball in his palm lighting the small pyramid of sticks Kakashi had set up for a fire. He was still quiet, his eyes far away, but when Naruto finally walked up to them with two towels in hand he turned to him saying "Sakura got there first so we gotta wait till' she's done."

When Sakura finally went back in, wrapped in her towel, the three guys finally took off their clothes and jumped into the lake. They we're immediately relived in the cool water after being in the heat all day, and took their time washing up. Now they understood what had taken Sakura so long.

At one point, Naruto had built up his chakra, ready to try to get Sasuke out of his…slump. Even in the water he seemed slow and …they weren't even sure. Kakashi thought he may be a little sick or have some kind of heat stroke.

When he had a good amount build up, he peeked up at Sasuke to see him leaning up against the side of the lake, his head down on the ledge. Then he whipped it into the water so that a wave, big enough to completely engulf him, pushed through the water, rising until it smashed down over his head.

Two seconds later, he was up holding onto the ledge, completely soaked, coughing and sputtering.

"Naruto, you baka!" He shouted, choking up water while Naruto laughed like a banshee.

"Ha you should have seen your face!" he laughed.

Sasuke glared at him before quickly finishing up, wrapping himself in his towel, and heading inside.

"Aw come on Sas, it was just a joke!" Naruto Shouted after him but he didn't even acknowledge it.

"Naruto, I don't think he feels well right now, just leave him alone." Kakashi said pulling himself out of the water and wrapping himself up as well.

"You know how he is with his mood swings."

Naruto followed suit and finished up too before he went inside to get dressed. They all met Sakura-her hair still dripping-outside where she already had some water boiling with bowls of…

"Ramen!" Naruto shouted, sitting down beside her.

Sakura laughed. They were still tired but all felt much better after cooling off in the lake. Sakura passed the bowls around to her teammate-first Naruto, then Kakashi. No one complained when Sasuke refused, saying he wasn't really that hungry.

They ate in silence as the sky got darker and darker around them. By the time they finished, the only source of light was the bright flames still burning silently. The night was just as humid as the day, and they each in turn felt a great sense of gratitude for the little cabin in the forest.

As soon as they were done, each kid got up as their teacher put out the fire and turned towards the house.

"Kay guys, I'm gonna set some traps so none of us have to keep watch tonight. Go to bed, you all need it."

Kakashi stayed out a little longer, making sure to set up efficient traps before heading inside after his students. He could hear the water running upstairs, meaning they were getting ready to go to sleep, so he pulled his blanket from his bag, took his book out, and sat down to read it until he could get his turn in the single washroom.

Just like any other washroom it had a toilet in the corner that none of them would dare use-it looked disgusting – and a sink right beside it.

Before he knew it, Kakashi's eyes had closed against his will, and he was asleep.

Sasuke and Naruto grumbled as they both slid down the wall to sit by the bathroom door, "Sakura hurry the hell up." Naruto shouted. They had already been waiting five minutes and it was another ten before she actually came out.

"Sorry guys." She said smiling at their annoyed expressions. "I'll see you tomorrow…Goodnight."

Neither boy said a word, only glared at her as she walked off to her room.

Sasuke walked in before Naruto even had the chance to look at the door. He'd been too busy staring at Sakura as she sauntered back to her room in her pink shorts and tank top.

"Grrr Sasuke it was my turn next." He growled. This had to be payback for the lake. Kami Sasuke was such a baka. It was about five minutes before Naruto exploded about to punch the door. His rage had been building as the water ran behind the thin wood. But before he could, the door swung open and he stumbled, flying into the old window on the other side of the room.

"I'm done. It's all yours." Sasuke said, and he walked away, shutting the door behind him.

"Ahh Sasuke!"

By the time Naruto was done and walking back into his room, Sasuke was just finishing with his job of getting most of the dust off his pillow. He wasn't satisfied, but it was the best he could do for now. He was too tired and his chest really hurt.

Naruto did the same with his bedding, before he turned off the bedroom light, and laid his head on the pillow. He felt his aching muscles slowly loosening, his eyes drooping as all the days exhaustion took over, and his mind shutting down into a deep sleep.

Sasuke laid down on top of his dark blue blanket, his head on the pillow and his limbs burning. He closed his eyes wishing sleep would come. He was exhausted. But instead, he only got heavy breathing and a massive heaviness on his chest. He was glad he hadn't had dinner with the others tonight, already feeling sick at his thoughts

He laid there for what felt like hours, trying to calm himself down, but as the time passed, it only seemed to be getting worst. He couldn't help but think how he could have forgotten what day it was. How many days he had left before the nightmares would begin once again. How much time before the depression hit. And he was scared.

He looked out the window at the bright full moon in the sky. It was the only source of light in the room. The dust in the air, mixed with the humidity and heaviness in his chest quickly had him hyperventilating and struggling to breath. It had been like this all day, but now it was starting to get worst. It was a strangely familiar feeling. A terrifying feeling. Something he hadn't felt in years, and he immediately knew it was going to get bad if he didn't fix it quickly.

Sasuke got up, his head spinning and his chest heaving. It felt as if he was moving in slow motion. His chest was beginning to hurt so badly that he was scared to move. Cautiously, he went to his bag and began digging through it in search of the inhaler he hadn't used in about three years. Not had to even think about it in the last two years.

He knew he'd perfectly set himself up for this. Pushing himself to the limit in the heat today, realizing what day it was, walking into the dust filled house, not having dinner, being almost drowned in the lake , and actually thinking about even laying his head on a pillow that looked as if it was actually made of dirt. How could he have been so frickin stupid? Why the hell would he do that? Why would this monster inside affect him again after so many years? Deep down he knew the answer, but he would never admit it, even to himself.

As a young boy, he'd been taught not to panic in this situation. To remain calm until he had the inhaler, until he could breathe again; but that knowledge quickly flew out the window as he dug through his bag, not finding a thing. He knew he'd packed it. He could have sworn he'd had it in his bag even before they'd started their way back to Konaha.

His heart beat picked up, his chest became even further constricted, and fear overcame him as he struggled to draw in a breath. There was nothing in the bag anymore. Everything was strewn across the floor. Everything in his bag except what he needed most. It wasn't there. He was going to die. He was going to frickin die because of his stupidity.

Sasuke turned around so that he could sit, leaning against the wall trying to calm down. He was trapped. He was trapped. His lungs we're trapped. He was going to die.

Naruto woke up to the sound of tiny sobs, whimpers, and a strange, slightly rattling sound. His mind was too fuzzy to comprehend them at first and he just laid there, staring at the wall and listening to the strange noises.

Slowly, they got loader and loader. His mind cleared, and his eyes snapped open as he sat up in bed.

"Sasuke!"

The first thing he saw was the usually arrogant, proud boy, sitting against the wall, his arms wrapped tightly around his chest, sobbing with tears coming down his cheeks. But… Uchiha's never cried, ever!

"Sasuke! Sasuke, what happened? Are you okay?" He yelled running to kneel by the struggling Uchiha.

"Was there an attack? Where's sensei? What happened?" He didn't look to be hurt but he was obviously having trouble breathing. That strange rattling sound he'd heard was definitely coming from Sasuke. They had to have been attacked- the room was an awful mess of clothes, kunai, and shurikan thrown in all directions….but there was no blood, not one of the weapons seemed to have had a target, there wasn't any sign of struggle, and if Sasuke had been hurt in a fight, Naruto knew there would definitely be struggle.

"Na…Naruto." He struggled to get enough air in his lungs to say it as he reached out to grasp Naruto's forearms in desperation.

"No…Attack" He sobbed. "Can't…breathe..… Inhaler…...don't…know…help please" He breathed. It took a moment for Naruto to comprehend his choppy, strained words, and even longer to actually figure out what he was trying to say.

"Can't breathe, inhaler, inhaler, inhaler" He said to himself for a moment before...

"Inhaler, you need an inhaler!" He said gripping Sasuke's arms back as the boy increased his grip nodding.

What the hell! He didn't know Sasuke needed an inhaler. He'd never seen him use one, much less have one on him.

"Umm…okay, do you know where it is?"

"Don't…know…try bath…room." He sobbed. Naruto noted that his breathing was still getting worst. With each breath, it seemed the rattling sound continued increasing.

"Okay I'll be right back. Don't move" Like could even if he tried. Naruto knew that's what Sasuke would have been saying to him if he could, follow by a furious glare. Instead, there was a terrified lost puppy look there that Naruto's mind didn't really believe it was seeing. Uchiha's-most especially Sasuke-didn't cry! They barley showed any emotion!

"Inhaler, inhaler, inhaler." He mumbled to himself as he ran down the hall and began searching through the tiny, dirty bathroom.

Why the hell would it even be in there was what he was truly wondering, but he knew that Sasuke hadn't found it in his bag so it must have been dropped somewhere. The only think he found in the bathroom was some thick green mold by the sink, and the wet towels they'd all left in there to dry earlier. What time was it anyway?

When he whipped back in the room Sasuke's head was buried in his knees, his arms again wrapped around his chest. But this time his fingers clutched desperately at the thin black fabric. His skin was red and sweaty beneath the tears and he seemed to be struggling to even get his sobs out.

"Umm…Kay Sasuke, it wasn't there. Hang on, umm…hang on" The words stumbled out of his mouth as he tried to figure out what to do for his friend in his panic.

"Kay put your legs down, it's only gonna make it worst if you move and constrict your chest like that. Hang on I'm going to get sensei, just hang on Sasuke."

He didn't even wait to see if Sasuke listened to what he'd said, instead, turning to run to his teacher's room.

"Grrrr!" He growled when the only thing he found was his teacher's two backpacks. Where the hell was he!

He banged the door closed behind him before running back down the wooden staircase.

"SENSEI!" He shouted when he saw the man's large form sitting upright on the couch with a blanket over his legs and his perverted book on his chest.

"SENSEI!"

Kakashi jumped about three feet in the air, immediately on his feet with a kunai in hand when he was woken by his student's sudden cry for him.

"Naruto what's going on?" He asked. Not seeing any immediate danger, he relaxed his stance. Naruto just always had to overreact. However, one look at the worry in the boy's eyes and he knew it wasn't some stupid new ramen the boy had just discovered.

That was real worry, real fear.

"I WOKE UP AND HEARD SOME REALLY FUNNY NOISES BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS AT FIRST THEN I REALLY WOKE UP AND THOUGHT WE WERE ATTACKED BUT I GOT UP AND SASUKE WAS ON THE FLOOR CRYING! CRYING! AND THERE WAS THIS WEIRD RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM HIS CHEST. HE WAS REALLY PANICKED AND SAID HE COULDN'T BREATH AND HE NEEDED HIS INHALER BUT I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HE SAID AT FIRST AND THEN WHEN I DID I ASKED WHERE IT WAS BUT HE SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW. I KNEW HE'D ALREADY LOOKED IN HIS BAG AND DIDN'T FIND IT CAUSE EVERYTHING WAS ALL OVER THE FLOOR-THAT'S WHY I THOUGHT WE WERE ATTACKED IN THE FIRST PLACE! THEN HE SAID IF I COULD CHECK THE BATHROOM AND HE WAS REALLY SCARED AND DESPERATE BUT IT WASN'T THERE SO I WENT BACK AND IT WAS ALREADY GETTING WORST AND HE WAS COMPLETLEY FREAKING OUT AND HE COULD HARDLY BREATHE SO I RAN DOWN TO GET YOU AND YOU NEED TO COME UPSTAIRES RIGHT NOW AND FIX IT!"

The boy said it so fast that he only understood what he was saying from his experience spying in ANBU and with the boy in general. He stood there a minute trying to figure out the book the kid could write with his story while whiping at his sweaty forehead-he just had to fall asleep with the blanket and book over him.

"SENSEI COME ON!" the boy said, running on the spot. His eyes were shiny with unshed tears of panic.

That's when Kakashi put all the words together, flew into action, and began running up the stairs with the boy hot on his heels.

"Naruto I need you to go to my room and get me my little blue backpack-not green, BLUE! It should be in the corner by the window with the green one. I'll be in Sasuke's room. Hurry." He said as quickly, calmly, and clearly as possible in his worry.

"Hai Sensei." Now that his teacher was doing something, he felt slightly better. As Naruto turned and opened the door to his teacher's room, Kakashi continued down the hall to the genin's room.

He was a lot more prepared for what he saw in the room than Naruto had been due to all his training, but the sight still sent a jolt of pain through him. There was just something about it. When he was on the battle field and someone got hurt, he could deal with screaming, deal with crying, deal with blood, but it was always those that were laying there, struggling to breath, unable to move that had his heart racing and his chest constricting. That forced him to fight harder and finish it. This wasn't a battle field and instead of the monster being there in front of them, it was doing the damage from the inside out-however the sight that welcomed him felt just the same-no worst-than a comrade being hurt in battle. This was his student lying against the wall clutching his chest. This was just a little boy crying so desperately that his face was red and soaked from tears and perspiration. This was just a kid, not even able to pant out a breath anymore.

Kakashi ran in, keeping as calm as he could as he knelt in front of Sasuke. The boy had his head back against the wall his eyes open wide in panic.

"Sasuke! Hey, Sasuke!" He said taking a moment to pull the boys hands away from his chest and hold them in his.

"Sasuke it's okay" The only thing he could get back was a tiny gasped whimper from him.

As gently as he could, Kakashi picked the boy up bridle style and sat against the headboard on the nearest bed so that Sasuke was between his legs leaning back against his chest.

"Sasuke, Naruto went to get your medicine, just hang on. You're okay." Then he placed a carful hand on Sasuke's chest and began rubbing small circles against it.

Sasuke's leaned his head back against kakashi's chest so that he could look up at him as he desperately tried to draw in a breath.

"You're okay, you're okay, you're okay" He chanted so quietly that he wasn't sure if Sasuke could even really hear him. He was probably too busy trying to keep from passing out.

"Sensei I got it!" Naruto shouted running back in the room seconds later.

Thankfully the boy had remembered to get the BLUE bag. He had doubted that Naruto would remember in his panic.

"Thank you" Kakashi said when Naruto sat facing them on the side of the bed with the blue bag on his lap. He reached over Sasuke to take the bag, unzipping it, and digging through it for a moment until he felt what he was looking for. The little blue emergency inhaler labeled 'Sasuke'.

"Okay Sasuke" he said taking the cap off. "You know the drill."

The boy made a nodding motion, reaching desperately for Kakashi's hand as he brought the little bottle to his face.

Kakashi watched, his heart beating quickly in his chest as Sasuke took it into his mouth without hesitation, grasping onto his wrist with both hands.

"One, two, three." He said, then pushed down on the nozzle to let out the first spray, all the while still rubbing Sasuke's chest with his free hand.

Tears came down thicker when he barely managed to get that first spray down his throat.

"It's okay, one more." Kakashi said, letting him take the puffer between his lips.

"One, two, three" Kakashi sighed in relief when he saw Sasuke take a breath just in time to let all the spray down into his lungs. This was good. If he hadn't been able to do it on that shot, then they would have needed a hospital, which they very inconveniently didn't have at the moment. It would take them a day to get to one from where they were.

"There you go, good job." He whispered into his ear. He could already feel the tightness in Sasuke's chest begin to loosen under his figures and his tears begin to slow.

"One more" One more, and he knew that he'd be able to breathe.

"One, two, three." Spray, and the rise and fall of Sasuke's chest as he managed to pull it into his lungs.

Nobody breathed-literally- for a moment before finally; Sasuke's chest rose and fell in a shaky, but strong breath.

Both teacher and student sighed in relief.

"There you go." Kakashi whispered to him quietly, wiping the tears and sweat from his face.

"You're okay now. You're fine." Sasuke's tears had come to a stop; his hands still weakly holding Kakashi's wrist, and his slow, steadying breaths deep with exhaustion. He knew he was supposed to keep Sasuke away-make sure he was okay-but seeing the expression of complete fatigue, and feeling his rising and falling chest beneath his hand, he let the boy fall.

"You're okay now, close your eyes. Go to sleep." He said watching his student's pink eyes droop more and more. He tried to fight it for a minute before the soothing sound of his teacher's whispers, and the comforting motion of his hand against his chest caused him a lost battle, and lulled him to sleep. He may have lost that battle, but he'd beat the monster inside once again.

Kakashi continued rubbing the small circles against his chest for a minute as he looked up at Naruto.

The boy was looking on with relived curiosity in his eyes.

"Asthma?" he asked quietly.

Kakashi nodded.

"I didn't know he had asthma. Does Sakura know he has asthma?"

"No, not many people know. You know, I know, the Hokage knows, and a few other jounin know for security purposes. But Naruto, don't say anything about this. It's not our business who he wants to tell unless its people he'll be spending a lot of time with. I'll tell Sakura tomorrow cause after today I think it's best the team knows, but you aren't to tell anyone."

"Hai" Naruto nodded seriously.

"Naruto I know about each of your medical issues. If a problem ever arises in your health I will be notified so if anything like this ever happens with any of you I'm ready. If I'm not around, I always have my blue bag. In there you'll find first aid supplies plus any medication you may be on as an emergency resource. Sasuke hasn't had attack like this in a few years now so he didn't expect it but you can see why you should never underestimate stuff like this."

"But-but why did it happen now…if it didn't happen in so long?"

Kakashi sighed looking back down at the kid.

"I would have assumed he pushed himself too hard. That walk today, the humidity, all this dust. That was part of it. But it probably really got going when he realized what day it was. Sasuke hasn't had an attack like this in so long because it usually doesn't affect him this much unless something about the massacre has him very stressed. Did you see his face when he found out it was the twenty third today?"

Naruto nodded his mouth slightly open as he listened intently. He had seen the shock on Sasuke's face when he'd asked if it was true.

"It took me a while to figure it out but I don't think he realized that the anniversary of the clan massacre, and then his brother's birthday, are both only a week away. He's been focused on the mission this week so it came as a shock to him."

Naruto, having grown up without a family, didn't really understand the depth of the situation Sasuke was in, but nodded sadly, sympathizing for his friend. If he had a bowl of ramen and a chocolate bar he'd be so happy…but then if the ramen decided to go and just spill all over and ruin it, he would feel so betrayed that his favorite food in the world would go ruin his chocolate bar…

Okay maybe not the best comparison ever….but he did understand.

"Poor Sasuke" Naruto whispered even quieter than his teacher had been whispering.

"You may see a difference in him for the next few weeks. He's always quiet and stuff but he usually becomes really moody during this time."

"Pfft. You can say that again" Naruto interrupted.

"Naruto, he doesn't get much sleep due to nightmare, and because of that, he's even shorter tempered than usual. I know it's difficult to understand having grown up alone, but Naruto what I'm trying to say is try to leave him alone when he starts acting like that. Don't pick fights with him. Some of the stuff he says is wrong, but remember all those fears, anger, and emotion will all most likely be coming back to him full force. He's in pain." Kakashi whispered this sadly, remembering his own childhood.

Naruto contemplated quietly for a moment.

"That must be awful. I'll be careful sensei. But-"

"Good, just don't start treating him all different than usual in the morning. Now go to bed." Kakashi cut him off before he could ask anymore question. He'd told Naruto everything he'd had to say to him-maybe more. He could see Naruto drifting slightly and he was beginning to feel a little like he was floating as well.

As Naruto got up to get to his own bed, Kakashi began lifting Sasuke off of him to lay him down on the bed. They'd been sitting there for nearly twenty minutes just talking as Kakashi felt the rise and fall of Sasuke's chest-making sure it was light and steady. It was much cooler now, so Kakashi pulled the blanket halfway over his chest. Naruto was doing the same for himself as Kakashi went to pick up a shirt Sasuke had been wearing yesterday from the mess in the room.

Before he turned to go to his own room, he went back to Sasuke lifting his head so that he could put the shirt over the dusty pillow. He didn't want to take any more chances. The boy was so tired he didn't even stir. He briefly wondered how Sakura hadn't woken up with all of their racket. Then he turned to open the door.

"I'll be in my room if you need me. Goodnight Naruto."

"Goodnight Sensei."

He was asleep before he could even hear the click of the closing door as his teacher left.

Sasuke woke up to see the next morning feeling different. The sun was shining brightly, high in the sky signifying that it was late afternoon. The room was cooler than it'd been last night, but still warm enough to have to kick the blanket off of his chest. He didn't remember having the blanket when he'd gone to bed. Honestly, he'd been dying of heat when he'd gone to bed. His chest had been hurting and his head had been spinning, and then…

That's when the fuzziness in his brain began to clear and he became hyper aware of himself. His skin was hot and flushed from having the blanket over him since before the sun came up, his eyes were sticky and sore from crying, but most of all, his chest and throat were throbbing painfully with each breath he took.

A whimper escaped him as all the feelings overwhelmed him and he suddenly remembered everything. The feeling of his lungs starving for air, his panic and fear at the pressure, like a ton of bricks on his chest, thinking he was going to die alone. Naruto panicking, talking to him-trying to calm him down, looking for his inhaler, getting Kakashi sensei. Kakashi sensei telling him to breath, holding him in his lap, rubbing his chest, helping him take in the medicine, then his voice lulling him to sleep.

Sasuke's mouth dropped open and his cheeks flushed scarlet in embarrassment. A single tear ran down his cheek.

"Oh Kami" he whispered. How could he act like that? Why would he do that? This was so embarrassing. How could he face them after that? Kami he'd been such a baby.

It was just that he'd been so nervous. He'd actually been scared. So scared! He hadn't felt that way in a long time.

Images flooded his mind. Earlier days.

"Shh Sasuke, just hang on otouto ." Itachi's warm voice flooded his ears through the panic gripping him.

"Ni…ni…ni…san!" He watched as his brother rummaged through a drawer across the room. His chest was burning furiously, and his breath coming out in choppy puffs.

"Hang on otouto….I got it Sas-kun"

He could see his brother holding him in his arms again. Putting the inhaler to his lips. Rubbing his chest.

"It's all right otouto . You're okay now. Close your eyes now, I'm here. Go to sleep."

Whispering to him. Rocking him to sleep.

"Th-thank…you…ni…san." he would whisper with a sore throat just before he could go to sleep.

"I'll always be here for you Sas-kun. Always."

Sasuke's eyes got shiny with unshed tears and he quickly rubbed them away. Itachi HAD always had been there for him. The last time he's had an attack this bad Itachi had been them with him, holding his hand all night as he slept. He'd panicked and cried but he knew he was safe, because his ni-san was there with him.

Last night he'd been terrified. He had no inhaler, no breath left, and no nothing but the memory of a backstabbing bother. He'd honestly thought that he was going to die…all alone while everyone slept around him, all because of a stupid asthma attack. Not getting attacked on the field trying to protect the dobe, not exhausting his chakra to make an intimate sacrifice, not killing his brother, but because of a stupid asthma attack. Some ninja he was.

Sasuke closed his eyes for a minute. His chest and throat were burning, and now so was his brain. The image of Itachi holding him suddenly shifted. Grew and elongated-the arms becoming bigger, thicker, around him, the legs slightly longer, the colors lighter, until it wasn't Itachi holding him at all but Kakashi. Kakashi gently whispering to him, holding him, bringing the inhaler to his lips. Naruto panicking as he talked to him, sitting at the side of the bed. His team saving him... again. Minus Sakura, but if she had been there too, he thought he would be dying of embarrassment instead of just drowning in it right now. So technically Sakura too.

He knew the others had probably told her by now but carefully, Sasuke turned around to quietly get out of bed. The stuff he'd thrown around the room was gone, all stuffed messily into his bag and he had to pause a minute when he saw that the team had put a shirt over his dusty pillow as he slept.

Out in the hall, everything was silent other than the creaking wood and the occasional giggling from downstairs. That was Sakura.

It didn't take him long to brush his teeth, wash his face, and throw on shorts and a t-shirt, but after he was ready he wished he could have done it slower.

His steps around the hall and down the stairs were that of the same pace that they'd been when he was nine…pitiful. He rubbed his chest and looked down at the floor as he made it down into the living room where everyone just happens to be sitting. Their quiet talking had all gone silent when they'd seen him come down the stairs.

"Sasuke!" That was Sakura. Then he was right about them already telling her. He guessed that was for the best. His team should have known from the beginning in case something were to happen.

"Hm…morning guys," He said flushing scarlet.

"More like good afternoon. Aw sit down and stop squirming around teme. Relax." Naruto was as load as ever.

Kakashi stood, shaking his head with a measured smile behind his mask. Sasuke realized he hadn't even taken off his mask to go to bed if he'd been wearing in last night at whatever Godly hour it had been.

"How are you feeling?"

His tone was soft and light. An echo of gentle way he'd spoken to him last night. It made him flush brighter.

"Well obviously his chest hurts. I don't think that he's stopped holding it like that since last night." Everyone turned to look at Naruto for a moment before they turned back to him expectantly.

"Umm…yea…my chest and throat hurt but that always happens when it's really bad…I'm fine."

"Good" Kakashi said putting a hand on his back to lead him to the couch. He couldn't believe how embarrassed the proud young Uchiha was. He almost wanted to let out a chuckle. Almost.

"You slept all day; do you want something to eat?" Sakura asked getting up off the floor to sit beside him for a moment.

Before he could respond, Kakashi did.

"Actually Sakura, Yeah he should eat. And have some water for his throat as well if you don't mind getting it."

Sakura and Sasuke stood up at the same time. "It's okay, I can get it. I'm not handicapped." he said.

They watched him go to the cupboards and pull out what seemed to be some kind of peanut butter energizer bar then a bottle of water before turning back to them. This was getting really, really awkward.

"Sasuke" Kakashi said as he sat down again. "We've told Sakura what happened last night as I thought it best we all knew just in case okay?"

"Hn…yea I kinda expected it" He didn't think his bright red face had faded back to normal colour since he'd gotten down there.

"I'd also like to explain to you that if you ever lose the inhaler that you SHOULD always have with you no matter how long it's been since you've had an attack. That blue bag you saw last night will always hold an extra one, plus any first aid equipment you need or medication any of us may be on at that time."

Sasuke nodded. That was good to know.

"I..did have it with me…I guess it fell or something…on the way back? But I don't think it should be a problem again. It's not likely I'll have another in a long time."

Kakashi nodded for a moment, about to speak when Sasuke finally continued-playing with the granola bar in his hands.

"Th-… I ju...I just wanted to say thank you. For last night… Both of you. I-I don-…I was actually really scared last night and I'm sorry I panicked like that. But thanks"

Naruto didn't say anything but let out a laugh. He guessed that Sensei had ordered him not to tease him.

Sakura had gone back to sitting on the floor beside Naruto and gently grabbed his leg in a warm gesture before Kakashi spoke.

"There's no reason to thank us Sasuke. And there is absolutely no reason for you to be embarrassed about any of this. You were hurting, and we we're going to help you weather you wanted it or not. Remember, those who abandon their friends…."

"Are worst than trash." Sasuke finished keeping his gaze on his glass of water.

"That's right. That applies weather your on the battle field, back home in the village, or just breathless. So far you've never abandoned us and I hope to keep it that way. No matter what Sasuke we'll always be here for you."

This time, Sasuke didn't see Itachi's face...he didn't try to pull away...and he wasn't surprise when his usually indifferent teacher wrapped his warm, strong arms around him. He leaned into the warm embrace and hoped that he meant it. Hoped that his team wouldn't leave him. Hoped that he wouldn't be alone in the hard days to come.

* * *

**So what did you think? Please leave your comments. I have no experience weather with myself or others to do with asthma so please let me no if there are any big mistakes. Hope you enjoyed and are back for the next update:)**

**`twilaliars798**


	4. Broken Walls and Strengthened Promises

**HEY GUYS, READ THIS**

**Okay first of all, I'd like to say that I'm really sorry about how long it took to update this. I had a lot of studying to do for exams, but as of last Friday I AM FREE! Can you guys believe summers finally here? It doesn't even feel like summer. After that, the last few days have been really rushed as my family and I are preparing for a trip. First vacation in like seven years, yayayay!**

**Lol and that's the second thing I wanted to mention. Due to my trip this story may not be updated for about five or six weeks now. So I'm sorry to anyone I keep waiting, but hey, look at it this way, I'll have lots of time to write while I'm on the plane and sitting out in the sun heheh. I just wont be able to post it yet.**

**Just wanted to let you guys no, that no I am not done with writing these one shots,. I still have lots of ideas and I'd like to thank all of my followers and reviewers. I'll try to get another one of these out there before I leave, but I don't really think it will happen so just bare with me. **

**This one isn't really my favorite. I found it kinda hard to write and I don't really like it very much but I thought I should put something out there for you guys. Later I might do another one that follows the same story line, but we'll see.**

**Let me Know what you guys think.**

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Masashi Kishimoto except for my own original story lines and ideas**

**Enjoy, Read, and Review**

* * *

**Sasuke's Heart:**

**#4. _Broken Walls and Strengthened Promises_**

**_By. Twilaliars798_**

It's difficult to look at someone and not immediately judge them by the way they look, speak, or act. The way they look at you when you talk to them; when you walk by. The way they speak to you when you say hello for the first time. The way they turn their backs when someone strange comes into the picture.

It's not difficult to assume that the girl across the street wearing that expensive new brand name three hundred dollar dress is a rich spoiled brat. It's not time consuming to assume that the cute boy across the street, with all the beautiful girlfriends is a rotten player. And it's not difficult to guess that the arrogant, top of the class jerk has no life.

In reality, that girl you despise so heartily has to work two jobs so that her family can eat. The dress had been a gift from her high class boss on her sixteenth birthday. The boy across the street lost his soul mate in an accident three months ago. And the nerd jerk; he throws himself into his work every day because before his father died two years ago he had promised him he would become someone important. Someone who didn't have to slave in the hot sun for hours every day, picking up other people's trash.

But nobody knows that. Nobody knows what's really going on in another's life. Nobody cares what's truly going on behind all that they see in front of them. Only those who have suffered experiences that have changed them forever can truly look behind what they see. Can appreciate all they have. Can look at a person and understand what they're going through. However, even they have a problem.

They think that no one can ever suffer more than themselves. They are going through the worst kind of pain, while someone next door is suffering the most, or someone in the next town, or city, or across the ocean.

This was a lesson Kakashi had been forced to learn long ago. When he'd lost everyone he'd ever held close to his heart in the matter of a few years. When he'd through no one could possibly be hurting more than himself. That wasn't a notion that lasted too long. He threw himself into his work. Threw himself into his erotic novels. And threw himself into anything that drowned out his pain. Anything that would honor his late team, sensei, and father. It was his own fault, and he just had to deal with it.

He would do anything to distract himself. Anything to keep himself busy…until he packed up at the end of the day, and headed to the memorial stone where he would sit for hours. Talk to his friends, his family, his team. Tell them about the day he had, his new team, his teacher's son, his problems, how much he missed them, how sorry he was, how wrong he'd been. The tears had stopped coming long ago, but that didn't take the guilt away with them.

Because of his experiences, he started to learn about the suffering of others. Began to see behind the walls that each person put up. Began to understand what was behind the curtain. And come to love his young, raven haired student with all his heart.

It wasn't that he didn't like the other two as much. He loved them both with everything he had. But he had a special kind of love reserved for the small boy. A special bond that he didn't even understand to the fullest. All he knew was that every time that the boy trained, every time he looked at them all and declared that he was an avenger, every time he would "humph", mope, or growl, his heart would clench for a moment and he'd wish he would stop. Sit down with them. Slow down for a minute. Talk to them. Stop hiding behind the wall he'd put up. Stop throwing himself into his training. Stop pretending and be a child for a while.

Sasuke hid well. He was good at what he did, but Kakashi was better. Others couldn't see what the boy was hiding. It's like they didn't even remember that he had watched his role model kill his family over and over again at only seven years old. They only wanted to bet on him becoming the next prodigy. Make money on the skill he picked up training so that his pain wouldn't consume him. So that he could take all his anger, and push it towards his brother. Trying to become enough to finally please his nii-san. The only ones satisfaction he thirsted for while he'd already pleased so many.

Now Kakashi ducked as Sasuke executed a perfect side strike at his head, followed by a chorus of punches and kicks at the joints.

Behind them he could hear Naruto and Sakura sparing- or arguing about something trivial again.

"Good Sasuke, but watch that forward strike. Tomorrow we'll work more on your speed." He told the boy, grabbing his ankle when he aimed to kick his chest again. He could feel the immense power behind the blow but the kid didn't seem as focused as usual today.

"Switch with Sakura now. I need to work with her taijutsu." Sasuke nodded slowing down his breathing, but his eyes were off. He didn't seem to truly be with them. Either he hadn't gotten enough sleep last night, or something was really bothering him.

Unlike usual, he'd gotten to the training area after both Sakura and Naruto today. A whole twenty minutes later than usual. Both kids had been shocked. He was usually already wide awake, looking perfect and ready to fight by then….but not today. He'd gotten there with dark circles under his eyes, hair slightly wilder than usual as if he'd been rolling around, and with slow heavy steps. Whatever was keeping him up didn't seem like it was something that he was used to.

Sakura had gasped, running over to him and asking him what was wrong. When he'd noticed the two of them, they both physically saw him shake it off. He shook his hair, straightened his back, and let that awful blank look take over his face again. His wall.

"What?" He'd scoffed. "I'm fine."

Both of them shrugged him off with worry in their eyes.

Now Kakashi called across the field as Sasuke headed towards his teammates.

"Sakura Switch!"

She stopped trying to pound Naruto and quickly turned back.

As Sakura passed Sasuke when she made her way across the field, she looked up at his face, a little shocked to see him staring down at his feet with a blank expression, instead of glaring up at her like he usually would.

Naruto, as knuckle-headed as usual didn't think twice about how Sasuke had come in looking like crap this morning. He had a big grin on his face as he punched his fist in the air shouting "Yeah, Sasuke! I'm gonna beat your ass so hard today you won't even see what hit you. "

By this point, Sasuke had reached his side of the clearing. "Humph. We'll see dobe." The signature smirk lit up his face as he slid into a battle stance.

"Let's go"

Kakashi watched the two from across the field as he had Sakura practice her kicks against the trees surrounding them. He wouldn't say anything but he was worried about the last Uchiha. He had never seen him like this before-it just wasn't normal.

As he lifted his head and smirked at Naruto, slipping into a battle stance, Kakashi could see the effort it took him. Others wouldn't see the moment's hesitation in his step. Hell it had taken quite a while before he was even finally able to read the boy. Everything was smooth as he slid into a sparring position. He had an angry gleam in his eye. Something powerful, something feral. It was the most emotion Kakashi had seen on his face all day; and he had no idea what to think of it.

"Sensei? Sensei!" In his daze Kakashi hadn't realized that Sakura had been standing in front of him for the last minute calling his name. Not the smartest move for a ninja. Behind him, the tree that she'd been fighting had been knocked down to the ground. She must have used chakra to do that. Sakura had potential; she just had to stop using all her energy to focus on her little crush on Sasuke. The girl was beautiful, but the boy had made it clear that he wasn't interested time and time again. He was just too focused on his training, and that wasn't really the type of attention he needed right now anyway.

"Sensei!" She finally full out yelled at him. He caught her fist in the air as she threw a blow at his head.

"Sorry Sakura." He said turning to look at the fallen tree behind him. "Wow. See what you can do when you're not so busy fighting with Naruto or following Sasuke around. "

"Actually Sensei," She said sitting on the ground and crossing her legs as she stared out at her teammates. "That's what I wanted to ask you. Is Sasuke okay? He just- something seems different today. Something seemed different since we got back from that mission last week. Is-is he maybe still sick or something? He's not about to have another attack is he?"

I sighed as I looked down at her. I could see that both she and Naruto had noticed him acting a bit off lately. Naruto had chosen to ignore it, hoping it would just go away and he could find a way to cheer him up but Sakura was different.

After his asthma attack last week he had been quite embarrassed all the way back to Konaha. About his panic and the way he'd reacted, about having the mild problem in general, and about the hugs he'd submitted to afterwards. No one saw him differently but having everyone see him like that had made him blush scarlet every time he met a pair of their eyes. That was a big thing for an Uchiha. Sasuke always glared at everyone and anything he wanted to head on.

After the embarrassment wore off he'd calmed down a bit. Mostly going back to his usual self, but he was a bit different. A bit slower than usual, a bit quieter than usual, and a bit more secluded than usual. Kakashi wasn't surprised the others hadn't realized what was going on, even after what he'd told them last week, but he was also surprised that Sasuke had gotten down to this level.

"Sakura, don't you remember what happened when Sasuke realized what day it was last week? Do you remember what I told you the next morning?"

She looked up at me with a blank expression for a moment. She seemed a bit confused.

"You said that Sasuke had been upset to realize what day it was…..it was…it was a week before the anniversary of the Uchiha clan massacre!" She gasped in realization. Her eyes becoming shiny with unshed tears.

"Oh God poor Sasuke. Is that what this is about?"

Kakashi nodded slowly. "I don't know for sure of course, but yes I think so. Sakura don't say anything to him. He doesn't want pity. Trust me I know how he's feeling right now and your pity will only make it worst. We just have to make it known that we are here for him even if it's not in obvious ways."

"He looks like death right now. He obviously hasn't been sleeping but Sensei it's been five years. I wouldn't think that it would still affect him like this."

Kakashi shrugged. "You never know what a person's really going through Sakura."

She looked back out at her team mates. She could see the anger in Sasuke's strikes. He and Naruto seemed to be immersed in quite a fight; each blow hitting stronger than the last.

"Umm…sensei?"

She asked but he had already lost focus in their fight all over again. Kakashi was worried. He knew Sasuke was angry. Knew that he was upset and tired right now but the workout he was giving Naruto at the moment was worthy of a jounin. It was like from the moment he'd left to go fight Naruto to the moment he was standing in front of him at the ready, he had built up all the energy and anger left in his body and it was now all blowing up along the field. This wouldn't end well.

Despite the power behind his strikes, Sasuke still didn't seem focused. He was letting the anger take over and determine his every move; always a dangerous situation for a ninja to put themselves in. He was unfocused, hardly any thought in his mind, other than what his goal was. At this current time, it seemed to be beating Naruto into a pulp. However, Naruto being Naruto was doing quite well. He was probably used to fighting when the emotions took over. That's just what made Naruto, Naruto. He was holding his own against Sasuke despite what everyone thought about him not being strong or smart enough. Kakashi sighed in relief as he saw Sasuke confidently throw a massive fireball at Naruto but clenching his teeth in realizing that he had only hit his shadow clones. It took a moment for Kakashi to find the real Naruto hiding in a tree behind Sasuke.

He turned back to Sakura Knowing that they'd both be fine for now.

"Okay Sakura, lets spar."

She stood slowly, her eyes not leaving the boys quick moving forms.

"They're really going at each other sensei. Are you sure we shouldn't stop them?"

"Yea they're fine for now. Sasuke's not thinking strait enough to actually do anything fatal to Naruto and Naruto wouldn't hurt Sasuke. If it gets any worst I'll stop them but you need to be training too."

Both Sakura and Kakashi turned to each other, Sakura taking on a defensive position, Kakashi longingly patting the pocket where he kept his make out paradise for a moment before he said "Begin."

Meanwhile Naruto's eyes widened at the fireball Sasuke had just thrown at his clones. What the devil was he doing? This was supposed to be a training spar, not a full out battle.  
When Sasuke saw that the fireball had hit nothing but shadow clones, Naruto saw Sasuke freeze in his tracks for a moment before he himself had jumped out of the tree he'd been hiding behind.  
Immediately, he went on attacking Naruto with every move he had in his book.

"Sasuke what the hell are you doing!" Naruto shouted at him as he stuck a blow to his chest that had him lying on the ground. He quickly got back up to the angry smirk on Sasuke's face. What had happened? Sasuke had been exhausted since he'd arrived at the training area twenty minutes later than usual. He'd been kind of out of it all week. Always quiet, speaking only when spoken to, and training a little ways away from the group at all times. Where'd this energy come from? It was like…like he was actually trying to kill him.

"Sasuke what are you doing! I know you know what sparring is and this isn't sparing. This is….this is…"

That's when it happened. Kakashi and Sakura both stopped and turned as they heard the sound of a thousand birds echo through the arena.

Naruto froze, shocked for a moment. He couldn't possibly be…

"Chidori!" The sound of Sasuke's voice broke his thoughts. It only took Naruto a moment to regain his composure.

He saw everything as if it was moving in high speed, Sasuke running at him, his arm ablaze, Kakashi running towards them both from across the field, and Sakura frozen in her spot as she shouted "Sasuke!"

Naruto ran. He ran, strait at Sasuke at a speed Kakashi didn't even know he had. The lightning blade aimed straight at his shoulder before at the very last moment….he ducked. He ducked so that the chakra just missed the top of his head and gave Sasuke a blow to the stomach that had him flying back. Back into the trees and branches behind them. You could hear the sounds of small branches cracking as he was pushed through them before the load slam of his body against the truck of a massive tree about five meters in and the sound of all one thousand birds coming to an end.

Everyone froze in their position for a minute. Naruto wide eyed and breathing hard, Kakashi shocked still for a moment and Sakura with unshed tears in her eyes before they heard the sound of Sasuke's loud groan.

He sat frozen at the base of the tree, his eyes wide, his heart racing, and his mind and body frozen.

The sound broke Naruto out of his shocked silence and the sound of his

"Sasuke!" awoke both the others so they were able to follow him into the trees, running to catch up in time to see Naruto bending down in front of the boy who'd just tried to kill him.

"Sasuke? Sasuke are you okay?"

Sasuke's mind registered that Naruto was speaking to him. His mouth was gaping open trying to say something but all's that came out was another small moan.

"Sasuke?"

His eyes seemed blurry and unfocused but he was finally able to look up at them all; looking at each face in turn. They were all staring, surprised expressions glued to their faces.

What had he just done?

Looking back to Naruto, his heart beat sped up. He'd just tried to kill Naruto. He'd had lightning blade at Naruto's chest. He'd just tried to kill his best friend. He'd just almost fatally injured his eternal rival and best friend.

"Na-Naruto." He whispered weekly. His body and mind were both throbbing with exhaustion and the pain of crashing through all those trees.

"Naruto. I-I…"

All of them watched his lips move but Naruto had to move even closer to him to actually understand what he was saying.

Kakashi knew that Sasuke was weak and injured but he didn't expect Naruto to trust him enough to be that close to him right after what he'd done. What had he just done? The Sasuke he knew would never do anything like that. But then again, the Sasuke he knew was capable of anything and was usual driven by hate to a degree where all of Konaha thought he could even beat Orochimaru instead of being a thirteen year old still in training.

"I-I'm sorry. I-I-I don't know what came over me….I just, I-I-I."

At this point his voice had gotten stronger, enough so that the rest of the team could now hear him stammer the words out like a broken record. That's when Kakashi finally exploded.

"You're Sorry!" He yelled pushing Naruto out of the way to get right in the boys face.

"You're sorry!?" He grabbed Sasuke by the collar of his shirt, pulling him up so he was still with his back against the tree but his feet were off the ground. Supported only by the grip Kakashi had on his shirt.

"Foolish boy! Would you still be sorry if your teammate was lying on the ground, bleeding all over the training field right now? Would you still be sorry if he was dead! What the hell was that Sasuke? I told you when I taught you that jutsu that it is to protect you and your friends, not used against them! And that was not sparring! I told you guys to spar, not full out battle to the death. If Naruto hadn't been smart enough on getting out of the way of all those near fatal attacks you made…if you had actually been thinking strait do you know what could have happened!? Do you know what could have happened?! What the hell is wrong with you brat?"

"Sensei." He heard the sound of Sakura's sweat voice behind him and took a deep breath before looking back at them with fire in his eyes. Both Naruto and Sakura couldn't help but take a step back.

Sasuke's chest was heaving with his heavy panting

"I-I-I" he stammered weakly but Kakashi dropped him before he could finish. He landed with a hard thump at the base of the tree gritting his teeth before slowly trying to get back up.

"Kuso!" Kakashi whispered. Great, now while he'd been trying to talk to Sasuke, he'd managed to scare them all. He didn't want any of them to be scared of him; he wanted them to trust him. To feel safe with him- Sasuke above all. But in reality, what Sasuke had just done deserved a lot more than the yelling he'd just gotten.

Kakashi's eyes softened a little when he saw the frightened glances of his students as they stepped back and he shook his head, trying to clear his head for a moment.

He watched Sasuke trying to take a few steps before he actually registered the sight. Naruto had already gone to help him stand up straight as it seemed he was having difficulty doing so without the support of the tree. Sasuke in turn had his teeth clenched together, his eyes squinted.

Kakashi walked over in time to catch and ease him to the ground when Naruto let go.

He didn't say a word as he pulled Sasuke's shirt over his head before running his fingers over his exposed back and ribs. It seemed that Sasuke hadn't been eating very much in the last week.

He put even pressure along the bones hoping there weren't any breaks but quickly lost hope when Sasuke hissed in pain as Kakashi got to his lower ribs. He pushed down a bit harder when he did that, trying to locate the source of pain. It seemed the kid had sustained two broken ribs, a very bruised back, chakra burns on his hands, and from the way he'd been walking, a sprained ankle.

"Fine then, just hang on." He said as turned back to where he'd been training Sakura. He'd need a first aid kit.

Meanwhile, Sasuke's heart was dropping lower and lower at his teacher's cold demeanor. He deserved it, but he couldn't help it when he saw his sensei's usually kind eyes looking down at him like that. _God he must hate me, _he though in fear.

He knew he deserved it. He knew he deserved worst at what he'd just done and that's what made it so bad. How could he have done that? A shinobi never lets his emotions take over and he had felt such serge of hate, of anger that he didn't even realize when it had passed over him.

Now that it had passed, all the exhaustion, pain, and hunger of the last week was hitting him full force. He just wanted to sleep.

"N-Naruto." He said quietly to the boy still sitting in front of him.

"I really am sorry. I had no intention of hurting you. It-it was like something possessed me to do that and-and I lost control. You-you know I'd never do that." The Uchiha whispered, swallowing up his pride.

Naruto looked over at Sakura for a minute, then back at where he could see their sensei heading back to them with his blue backpack in hand. Despite what they may have thought, he remembered exactly what Kakashi had told him last week. He chose to not say anything about it so as not to hurt him further but Naruto knew what this was about. He had seen the look in Sasuke's eyes when he'd gotten there today, seen the change in him while they were fighting, and saw the thoughts running in his head about a thousand mile's a minute. Had Kakashi forgot about all that?

"Don't worry Sasuke." He said with a big goofy grin on his face. "Next time just warn me before you go all I'm going to kill you on me."

Sasuke sighed, the usually contagious grin not having any affect on him now. He just nodded as Kakashi knelt down beside him again, pulling out some gauze.

He wrapped Sasuke's ribs tightly as the genin winced and clutched onto the grass when he got to the worst of it. Then he took out some kind of cream, rubbing it gently along the palm of one of his hands and the thumb and forefinger of the other. Instantly he felt the effect as it soothed his burning skin. He then quickly wrapped those up with some bandages and moved on to wrapping his ankle.

No one said a word as this was done and no sounds were heard other then cloth against skin, crickets and birds in the air, the breathing of team seven, and Sasuke's occasional gasp or whimper of pain.

Kakashi was done quickly but could easily see how uncomfortable Sasuke felt, not daring to look up at his face. Kakashi's anger had died down slightly at the little boy's whimpers but he didn't spare him a second glance as he turned to Naruto.

"Are you all right? He didn't hurt you?" He asked him gently and Sasuke let the sound pull at his heart strings as he closed his eyes a moment. Kakashi hated him. He was mad at what he did sure, but he hated him.

"No sensei I'm fine "He said as the man took Naruto's hands into his own to look for chakra burns. If anything that's where he'd be injured the most as he really hadn't had too much rough impact and he seemed to be functioning alright.

There were only a few burns at the palm of his hands but Kakashi put the cream on them anyway as the others chose to watch silently.

When he was done he turned back to putting everything back in his bag without saying a word. Awkwardness filled them each in turn as they just stood there.

In his mind, Sasuke saw his father walking in the door as he came back from work.

Both Itachi and Sasuke who'd been playing in Sasuke's room came running to the door.

"Father, father!" They both cried as they tripped over each other to welcome him home.

They both ran in for a hug but Itachi got there first jumping into his father's arms.

Fugaku laughed wrapping his arms around his eldest son. "Itachi!" Before he looked down at Sasuke indifferently. "Hello Sasuke."

"How was your day today father?" Sasuke asked as the big man took off his shoes; however it went unheard as he was already in conversation with Itachi.

"What did you do today Itachi? Helped your mother out, I hope?" Sasuke heard him ask as he put his father's shoes to the side and trailed after them silently.

"For a little while but then I was too busy helping Sasuke out with his training. He wanted to work on his kunai and shurikan throwing. You should see him now dad. It took a while but he can hit almost every target now."

"Yea, yea dad! You want to see? Itachi taught me a new trick so that all the blades will meet the red circle point" Sasuke said catching up to them. He got excited again to the talk about his training.

"Sasuke slow down." Fugaku said when he came skidding to a halt beside him. "It's called a target and I've told you that many times. Until you get it perfect you keep practicing. Then you come call me to see." The man said gruffly before turning back to his eldest son riding his arm.

"Already going around teaching your brother." He said smiling fondly. "That's my boy."

Sasuke's body shook. He didn't know where the memory came from but wasn't surprised. Flash backs came to him a lot every year this week. However he felt a flood of emotion at hearing his father's voice, seeing him walk away from him then turning to see Kakashi turning back towards the arena.

He stood on shaky legs, both anger and sadness overwhelming him. "If we're done today, I think I'll go." He said turning to the opposite direction. Kakashi stopped in his spot for a moment. Sasuke wished he would turn around so he could see his eyes for just a moment. So that he could try to decipher what he was thinking but when he spoke, but Sasuke didn't need to.

His voice was hard and cold, as if it froze with each step he took.

"You're all dismissed. Sasuke you should go get some sleep, I think you need it."

It wasn't concern in his tone but pure frustration. He never wanted to hear Kakashi talk to him that way. He wanted him to turn around and hug him right now. He didn't know what came over him but he wanted him to turn around, tell him it was okay and that he forgave him. Now he was glad Kakashi was facing the other way or he would have seen his eyes shine with tears he wouldn't shed.

Kakashi waited a moment before continuing forward, across the field and onto the street. Sakura and Naruto stared after him in shock.

What was he doing? What had gotten into their teacher for him to act that way? Sure what Sasuke had done to Naruto was bad, but Kakashi was never that cold towards someone, never yelled like that, and would absolutely never walk away from a comrade in pain. And they both knew Sasuke was in pain. They could hear him grunting as he struggled to walk back to his house.

Wait, that's right! He was still trying to walk back to his house!

At the realization Naruto and Sakura forgot about their teacher as they turned to catch up with him. Naruto quickly reached him, taking Sasuke's arm and putting it around his own shoulder for support. Sakura made a mental note to check his house for some pain killers when they dropped him off. He wasn't hurt too badly but both Naruto and Sakura couldn't believe their sensei would just let him try to walk home or just stay in the arena with his ankle hurting the way it was.

Had he completely forgotten what he'd told both Naruto and Sakura last week? Had he forgotten his promise to Sasuke?

As Naruto walked Sasuke slowly out of the forest, Sakura beside them, none of them missed the tears in his eyes as he lost himself in though once again. It was the second time they'd seen him even come close to crying but there was no way he was going to let himself break down now.

It was a slow walk with Sasuke hardly paying attention to what was in front of them. He didn't say a word and definitely seemed to be avoiding their gazes. As soon as they got there he let go of Naruto to pull the key out of his pocket, but they saw him wince at the movement. Wow something was definitely bothering him if he was submitting to their help.

Sakura unlocked the door for him and they walked in, setting him on the couch. He stared down at his lap, his hair covering his face as he sat there silently.

"Sasuke do you have a medicine cabinet? Where do you keep all your medicine? Is there something I can give you?"

He looked up at them, eyes still shiny. "Kitchen cupboard over the sink." He muttered and Sakura was off.

His cheeks were flushed when he looked back up at Naruto.

"I really am sorry." He muttered. "I just-I just heard so-my brother's voice. Everything he said to me that night, and –and "the strain in his voice as he tried to speak without tears falling had Naruto amazed. The proud Uchiha reduced to tears?

"Really Sasuke, I told you it's okay. I know you're going through something right now, just don't worry about it. You know what, if you want to make it up to me in some way then you can treat me to some ramen when you feel better….and if you want to talk Sasuke…you can talk to me." He added the last part there onto the end, a little uncomfortably.

Sasuke gave a chuckle –the most normal thing Naruto had seen him do all day- and shook his head. "Dobe."

At that Naruto's face lit up and Sakura ran back in holding a small bottle and a glass of water.

"Here Sasuke." She said "There really isn't much but I found some Tylenol for the pain. Its non drowsy if you feel like taking it."

He nodded holding his hand out to for the too pills she shook into his palm then took the water, gulping them down. Hopefully they would take effect soon because his ankle and ribs were starting to become unbearable. How could crashing through a few trees cause his back to hurt so much?

"Arrigatou." He muttered.

The two stood there as he pulled his legs up onto the couch laying his throbbing head against the cushions and they sensed the exhaustion taking over him. The pills may have been non drowsy but they could see how tired he was from when he gotten there that morning.

"Alright Sasuke." Sakura said "Are you going to be alright here alone? I promised my mom I'd be back by five."

He nodded, scoffing quietly for a minute. "It's my house Sakura, I'm sure I'll be fine. Go, it's already five thirty. Naruto you too."

Sakura bit her lip, and her she turned to the door followed by Naruto. This was good. If he was kicking them out of his house with no shame, he was becoming the old Sasuke again.

"Okay then we'll see you later Sasuke"

"Later teme"

As soon as the door closed behind them Sasuke sighed in relief. They we're gone. The exhaustion that had filled him just moments before completely left his body and he opened his eyes, wide awake.

"Itachi you bakayarou!" He shouted to the empty house and the dam broke letting the tears he'd been holding back all day flow down his cheeks.

"Why'd you have to let me live? I'm going to kill you."

.

..

...

...

...

Kakashi punched the wall of the ally he was walking through, the bricks pulling some threads from his gloves.

"Kuso, Kuso, Kuso!" He whispered to himself over and over again. He couldn't believe the nerve Sasuke had to try and use the chidori on Naruto. How the hell could he do that? He was upset at what the kid had done. Disappointed in his behavior, but more ashamed of what he'd done. He'd let his anger at him take over, been so cold to the kid, almost bashed his head into a tree, and left him standing there in the clearing with his injures. Yeah, he'd treated his wounds, but he hadn't been gentle, and he hadn't said a word to the kid as he did.

Then he'd just left him there. Left him there on the grounds. Forgotten everything he'd previously said to him not even a week ago.

He knew Naruto or Sakura had probably helped him back to his house but he felt an immense guilt in his heart at how he'd left him. He knew Sasuke was scared right now, hurt, upset. The boy never showed any emotion and the fact that he had been all day was enough to let anyone see this. Sure he deserved punishment for what he'd done but Kakashi knew that now wasn't the time for it.

Not on the day his clan had been killed.

...

...

...

..

.

Sasuke sat there, letting the tears soak through the couch's cushions. He wouldn't sleep cause then the nightmares and memories would take over, and he wouldn't move, then the pain of his injuries would take over.

As much as he hated to admit it, he wanted Kakashi. He never admitted he wanted anyone, never admitted he was lonely, or scared, or upset, but right now, he wanted Kakashi; the person he knew would never come.

He wanted him to show up and tell him it was okay and tell him that he'd be there for him like he'd promised.

He didn't want to talk to Naruto or Sakura, it just wasn't right. He couldn't believe the dobe had actually offered to talk to him today; he'd had to laugh at the look on his face when he'd said it. He was so obviously uncomfortable and that just made the situation worst.

God he really did have no one. Usually that didn't bother him, but today, all week, the memories locked up tight at the back of his mind, only meant to fuel his anger at his brother were haunting him to no end. He just wanted Kakashi to hold him like he had last week.

In his mind, he could see Kakashi's cold glare. His rough fist holding him against the tree then probing his aching ribs and back. He could hear his voice, like icy shards, yelling at him.

"Foolish boy!" before the image changed.

The silvery, gravity defying hair went limp and dark, the cold, dark eyes became red and black, and the shortish muscular figure became taller, leaner.

"Foolish brother, if you want to kill me, then blame me, hate me. And live on in shame. Run and run. Cling desperately to life. Then, one day, come before me with the same eyes I bare now!"

The same words he'd heard today before the anger engulfed him. The same words that have been haunting him night after night. Why couldn't he have been stronger? Why couldn't he have done more? Why couldn't he have stopped Itachi from killing them? Killing them all? Why did Itachi have to let him live? Why couldn't he have left someone with him? Mother had nothing to do with this. Why couldn't he have left her? If he'd left her, maybe it would have been more bearable. Or maybe not…what difference would it make? His brother would still be gone, a traitor. Someone he'd have to kill for revenge.

Something would happen to her sooner or later and he'd just be alone again.

Maybe it was good that Kakashi didn't want to see him anymore. Maybe it was good that he hated him. At least if he hated him, Sasuke wouldn't have to watch him grow old and die before him. Leave him alone like everyone else. Maybe if his team hated him, he wouldn't last long enough to see them die either. He would have no back up on their missions and he would just get himself killed. Why couldn't he have just died on that bridge when that Haku boy had him? Why did he have to suffer?

No one could understand. All they wanted was to see how strong he was. Prove that he was stronger than that guy, or the next guy was stronger than him. What the hell did they care whether he lived or died? At least when he died it would be alone right? With no one to cry over him, or have nightmares about his dead bloody body. No one to have flashbacks of him laughing and smiling with them, no one to set roses on his grave, and no one to miss him.

No one would have to cry like he did. No one would have to hide their emotions every day. No one would have to suffer. What if he just died right now? Who the hell would care? Why was he living again anyway?

"Foolish brother, if you want to kill me, blame me, hate me. And live on in shame. Run and run. Cling desperately to life, then one day, come before me with the same eyes I bare now."

The words rang over and over in his head as his body shook with the sobs he produced.

He had attacked his teammate today; his best-no only-real friend. He had attacked him and almost killed him. He deserved to die. He almost killed an innocent kid, his own teammate.

Why couldn't Itachi have just killed him?

"Foolish brother, if you want to kill me, blame me, hate me. And live on in shame. Run and run. Cling desperately to life, then one day, come before me with the same eyes I bare now."

But Sasuke couldn't hate him. He hated him for leaving him all alone. Hated him for pretending all those years. Wanted to kill him, but didn't hate him. He harbored all his anger towards him but couldn't bring himself to hate him and that's why he couldn't kill him. Not yet. He wasn't strong enough yet. He just wasn't fricken strong enough yet!

The sobs were getting painful now and that's when he lost it. He lost it right there.

"Ahhhhhhgh!" He screamed out all his anger.

"Kutabare Itachi! Moka-moka su-su! Buk-Korosu."

He was pretty sure the whole world could hear him but right now he couldn't care less. Let them arrest him for all he cared.

"I'm going to fucking kill you! I hate you! I'm going to kill you!"

The pain and despair was completely overwhelming him. All the agony of the past week. The past year. Every year, five years. It overwhelmed him so much so that he didn't even hear the sound of his front door opening and closing until he heard a load gasp.

"Sasuke!" and the warm strong arms around him.

The familiar smell engulfed him and he turned his head, sobbing into the man's rough jounin jacket.

"Sensei!" sob "Please!" sob "I don't want to die!" sobbing "Don't hate me, please don't hate me!"

Kakashi's heart stuttered a moment.

"No Sasuke I don't hate you, shhh, you're okay." He whispered into the boy's ear soothingly running his hand through his unruly hair.

"Shhh Sasuke." Kakashi couldn't believe what he was seeing.

He'd been almost home, just unlocking his door actually before quickly realized what he'd done today, quickly realized he had to go see the boy right away; but never thought he would come to the house to see this. This was phenomenal. This was amazing. And this was heart breaking.

When he'd first heard the sobbing and load swearing-things Kakashi didn't think would be very appropriate to repeat but very colorful none the less-outside the boy's door he had thought he was being attacked or something, rushed into the house without a second thought, but didn't expect this.

"Kakashi please. I'm sorry! Don't be mad!"

"No Sasuke shhh, I'm not mad. I was disappointed with what you did, but I'm not mad anymore. Shh it's okay. Don't cry!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

The sobs shook his body so much that an outsider would probably assume he was having a seizure. God, he didn't know that what he'd done to the boy today would affect him this much. Never thought he would do this. And hated himself for breaking his promise to him. He had said he would be there for him. Said it would be okay and he would be there for him no matter what, but then hurt him in the worst way possible. Abandoning him when he needed him most, even if he didn't even know it himself. And now he was sitting here. Sitting in his lap, crying against his chest, and apologizing.

"No Sasuke, shh I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left you there today. I knew what today was. I knew you were hurting and I still left you there. Treated you like you were nothing. I'm sorry."

He had the boy's attention now. He had pulled back from his chest when Kakashi had started apologizing and was now staring up directly at his face, tears and snot running down his sweet features.

The features of a thirteen year old boy. And this look, this expression of grieving was something that should never be on a thirteen year old boy's face. That awful, agonizingly dead look in his eyes that held all the fear and pain of the last five years. All the confusion, and guilt, and loneliness.

"I'm sorry. I said I would be there for you and then I fricken hit you against a tree, yelled at you, and left you in the field with a broken ankle and-and. I'm sorry Sasuke, yes I was mad, and yes what you did was wrong but I should have never done that to you. I didn't even ask you what had happened. I just assumed and I'm sorry. So sorry."

Sasuke once more buried his face against his sensei's chest, his sobs a little less violent now.

"I-I-I kept hearing his voice in my head. Today, before I was, before Naruto and me- before- It, it's been driving me crazy all week. Every time someone does anything the flashbacks come, and I hear his voice again. I don't want to see their faces anymore. Sensei it hurts, make it go away, please make it go away, please"

That hurt. That had Kakashi's eyes shiny and itchy in a way they hadn't been in a long time. He knew exactly what Sasuke was talking about. Understood him more then he could ever know.

He was hurting. Sasuke was hurting so much. He was hurting and he couldn't do anything about it but be there for him. Hold him close, talk to him in a way no one had ever spoken to him.

No one had ever been there when Kakashi had heard the voices in his head. Seen his best friend's face in front of him, felt his sensei's warm strong arms around him. No one had been there when he woke from the nightmares every night. The nightmares where he was staring at his father's body, dripping in a pool of blood. Where they all talked to him; told him how much they hated him, how it was his fault. He wasn't going to let his student go through the same. Not anymore. He wasn't going to let him suffer alone.

"Sensei it's my fault. It's my fault they're dead. Why couldn't I protect them? Why couldn't I do anything? I have to become stronger sensei please, make me stronger. I don't want to do it like Itachi but I want to be stronger!"

"Sasuke? Sasuke look at me." He said moving back a little so that he could take Sasuke's chin and tilt his face up to him. He looked him strait in the eyes, using his thumbs to wipe some of the tears from his cheeks.

"None of this is your fault. None! I don't want to hear you say that again. None of this has anything to do with you. You were a victim in this-you did nothing. Okay?"

Sasuke tried to pull away, shaking his head but Kakashi's hold was firm. His sobs had stopped but his tears still streaked loudly down his cheeks.

"But sensei it is my fault. I wasn't strong enough to protect them." He whispered.

"Sasuke you were seven years old, no one expected you to do anything!" Kakashi said a bit bewildered. What was the kid thinking?

"Sasuke you're immensely strong. You have to ignore what the village says about you. Ignore what people expect and just do what you think is right. You still have a long way to go and you have lots of time to get even stronger but right now you are already stronger than anyone I know. You show me that every day; both with your fighting skills and your attitude. It takes real strength to hold up that wall every day. To be happy, communicate with others, remain sane, take care of yourself, want to learn more and keep living. You do that every day, I see it. Sometimes it's good to just slow down a bit, let someone else take care of you for a while Sasuke. You are not week and this is not your fault."

Kakashi could tell that each word he said got through to the boy. He was hanging onto his every word and so he had to make them good ones. This kid depended on him, trusted him even after what he'd done to him today and that meant something. Carefully he let go of Sasuke's face letting his fingers wipe away some of the rivers on his cheeks. That wasn't necessary as they just kept coming and Sasuke leaned forward to wrap his arms around Kakashi, burying his face in the crook of his neck.

He could feel his genin's soft, hitched breath puffing against his skin; felt the wet, sticky skin rub uncomfortably against his own. It took him a minute to realize that Sasuke was saying something to him. Whispering.

"Sensei I don't want to see their faces anymore. I don't want to hear their voices. How do I make it stop? Please make it stop hurting."

He rubbed his back gently, pressing his face against Sasuke's hair.

"I wish I could Sasuke, I wish I could. I can't make them go away, but I can tell you that I can help loosen their hold on you. I can be here for you. I won't abandon you again like I did today. Even if I get mad at you, yell at you, I will always be here. I can also tell you that it will take time, but I promise they will go away. It will never really stop hurting but it will become bearable I promise." Kakashi whispered back to him confidently as he saw the images of the White Fang, Obito, Rin, and the fourth all smiling down at him.

He knew that this was what he was supposed to do. Helping Sasuke, being there for him, as well as all his other students was what he was called for.

"H-how do you know?" Sasuke asked voice shaking.

He closed his one visible eyes still buried against Sasuke's raven mop.

"Because I know what it's like Sasuke. I know what you're going through. Maybe not to the same degree but I know what you're going through. It doesn't feel like very long ago I lost my family too. My father when I was much younger then you, and then my team when I was around your age. After that all I had left was my sensei, but it wasn't even two years later that he sacrificed himself for the village during the war. I was left alone."

Sasuke's tears finally came to an end as Kakashi spoke. His teacher had lost everything too?

"I'm sorry." He whispered softly after a while. "What-what did you do?"

"The same thing that you do." He said gently. "I blamed myself. Trained, got stronger, as well as a few other distractions. But you know none of that really did anything but distract me. At the end of the day I would still go home and everything would just hurt twice as bad again. It did help to some degree but what really helped came a little later. What really helped was just listening to what others were trying to tell me. Listening to Gai, Asuma, and the third. To Anko and even Pakun. Just hanging around with them. It helped me realize a few things and they really did help me. They were the first people I started talking to unless I was on a mission. The first people I let see the real me. After that I guess were the first people I've actually let myself care about this much in a long, long time. They are you guys. They're team seven and I don't want them to have the same fate that my team had."

Not a sound was heard in the house after that. Nothing but the sound of the ticking clock and heavy breathing of the boy wrapped up in the man's arms. Kakashi's body shook slightly though he didn't know if it was due to his telling of his story or Sasuke's slight tremors; it didn't matter.

"Wow umm…I'm sorry Kakashi sensei. " Sasuke whispered tightening his arms around his neck like a child. Kakashi couldn't help but smile at the youthful gesture.

Youthful? He was starting to sound like Gai now, great. He again started running his hand up and down Sasuke's back soothingly. Neither of them said anything for a long time. Until again, Kakashi felt a few tears drop against his neck. Only a few drops-not anything like it had previously been.

"Sensei?" Sasuke broke the silence.

"Yes Sasuke?"

"Don't leave me. Please don't leave me like they did. Don't leave me alone."

Kakashi sighed. "I'll always be here Sasuke, whenever you need me. But one day when I'm not you're still not alone. You have your team. You have Naruto, and Sakura, and you know what? Even then, I'll be with you, even if it's not in the obvious way, I'm here."

"Promise?" He asked

"I promise."

After that they lapsed into silence again. Neither knew for how long, but it didn't matter.

It couldn't have been long because he soon felt Sasuke's body shake in a half-hearted chuckle.

"When Naruto and Sakura brought me home today, Sakura left to get me some water and Naruto, I could stop apologizing to him. After a minute he actually said that if I wanted of talk, he was there. He turned bright red when he said it to."

Kakashi couldn't help but let out his own snigger at the image of the bright blond boy saying that.

"Aw see, that's what I mean. Naruto always means well. He may not always do the obvious thing but he's always trying to bring a smile to everyone's face. You know I think he's known all day; he just doesn't want to say anything to make you feel worst. If you look he's actually been trying to cheer you up all week. And Sakura's sweat too, she's been worried since we got back last week"

Sasuke finally looked up from Kakashi's neck, looking up at him so Kakashi could see the swollen red eyes.

"I know. I know they mean well, but I just can't deal with it right now. I'm not the type to just bounce back from something I guess you could say. It may not seem like it but this happens every year. The nightmares start, their voices, the memories. I just can't stand there and listen to everyone joking around and trying to talk to me. I don't want their pity."

"I know. I know what you mean." Kakashi smiled down at him. "And you deserve the right not to have to. Just know that they too care about you Sasuke."

He nodded silently before grimacing slightly. "Thank you sensei."

"That's what I'm here for." Was all he responded smiling slightly. "Anytime."

This time when Kakashi pulled him into a hug, he didn't hug him back, instead pulling back slightly with a small moan,

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" Kakashi asked concerned.

Sasuke's eyes lowered.

"Tell me Sasuke."

"M-My ribs and back really hurt. Sakura gave me some Tylenol before she left but I don't think it's really helping." He said. His voice hinted to that of a moan. Low and strained but not just from crying.

"Oh that's right. I'm so sorry. Of course Tylenol isn't really strong enough to do much for you right now. Those bones must be killing you, hang on.'

Kakashi said rushing to get up. He felt even worst now. Poor kid his stomach must be burning with pain right now. He'd know grown men to be screaming with the pain of broken ribs. Unlike a broken arm, there really wasn't much you could do for them other than wrapping them up and pain killers. Unfortunately he hadn't given Sasuke any in his cold demeanor today.

He grabbed the small bag he'd dropped by the side of the couch and opened it to grab a small purple bottle from it. Then he zipped it back up and sat down beside Sasuke who clutched a pillow against his chest as if in his place.

"Here, Sasuke. These are much stronger. They're pretty much like the pain killers you get at the hospital put in tablet form for long missions. It won't take all the pain away but they should take a little more than the edge off. If they took all the pain away it may be dangerous to take when you're on the road, you know not being able to be completely aware of the injuries and such"

Sasuke let Kakashi put two of the tiny pink balls onto the palm of his hand. He knew he wouldn't even need any water for these. They we're like the tiny candy nerds that came with those lunch packs you could buy.

"Arrigatou sensei." He said taking them without complaint.

"No problem Sasuke. It should stop hurting soon." He said brushing the sweaty locks from the kids forehead.

"You know its six forty. I usually go to the memorial stone at this time for a bit. Talk to my team and dad for a bit if you want to join me." Kakashi asked hesitantly.

" You don't have to if you don't want to."

Any other day Kakashi knew that Sasuke understood that better than anyone. He did whatever he wanted whenever he wanted but he wanted to ask today, just in case.

There was only a few moments hesitation before his answer.

"Umm…sure…that sounds nice."

Great now he was stammering like Hinata.

"Come on then. Walking around a bit might make those pills work faster."

Sasuke stood, whimpering slightly and keeping all the weight off his left foot. Kakashi wrapped his arm around him, and then took Sasuke's own arm to put it around his shoulder. The height difference made it a bit awkward but it made both feel more comfortable.

The walk was quiet with no attention paid to them. Sasuke was comfortable with his teacher. He wished that he would be able to stay with him like this all the time.

He could feel the pain lessoning with each step he took and hoped that it would get better soon. He wouldn't be able to train like this.

"Hi guys." He soon heard Kakashi murmur and looked up confused for a moment.

Wow, they'd already made it and he hadn't even noticed.

Kakashi watched Sasuke as he let go of him and took a few shaky steps towards the large rock. Watched as he gently ran his fingers over a few names of Uchiha's that Kakashi doubted he'd actually known.

Watched as his swollen eyes once again filled with tears and he turned back to face his teacher.

"Sensei would it be okay if I…" he didn't finish his sentence, instead looking over his shoulder down the hill where a cemetery rested. Or he supposed he should say people's bodies rested in the cemetery.

"Of course Sasuke, take all the time you need. I'll be right here when you're ready." He told him gently then observed as the kid limped down the hill, and walked around aimlessly for a minute before sitting down at a stone grave covered in blooming flowers.

"Huh." He said sitting down in front of the stone crossing his legs.

"So Sasuke comes here often does he Obito? I never expected that, but who else would have laid those roses there."

A light wind picked up around him and he caught the sound of Sasuke's voice quietly talking below. The sound of his slight crying.

"If I had to guess, I would say that's his mother he's talking to." He said looking up at the stone. His heart stuttered a moment.

"I guess you saw what a mess I made with your cousin today. I'm sorry. I never expected him to be so…I don't know. You know about my temper. I knew he was hiding, hurting, but I didn't know he was hurting so bad. I think I did get through to him though. Am I doing the right thing with him Obito?"

When the wind gently tousled his hair he sighed, looking back down at his lap.

"I know I broke through his wall today…or actually I guess he broke it himself when he thought he was alone but, I helped. I know he'll already have it back up by the time we leave but I just don't know what to do. How do I teach him sensei? He's still a kid; I want him to be a kid, if anything just a little bit longer. Or maybe he stopped being a kid that night didn't he? That was stolen from him that night."

Kakashi turned to look back down at Sasuke's small figure. He could see his shoulders shaking and knew he was crying.

"It's not fair. Why is life so unfair? He's just a boy. Obito, Sensei, I love him. I love him like my own son and I will be there for him. I can't take it anymore. Watching him hurt himself, push himself. I finally got him to open up to me tonight and I want it to stay that way. I want him to know I'm here, whenever he needs me. I won't let him fall under Konaha's scrutiny like I did when my dad died. Nobody understands that the kid's not there for their entertainment, he's actually suffering. He's hurting."

"He's hurting and all they can do is bet on if he'll make it past the chunin exams or not. Betting on if he'll come out on top as rookie of the year. You remember when I was hurting? When I wanted to die?...I can't believe that I ever thought that. I guess no one is really ever suffering more than the next person are they? Everyone has their own pain to deal with weather it's a broken figure or a lost family member, but I don't want this kid to lose to that pain like I almost did. I promise Obito, Sensei, I'll do a good job with him; I'll take care of him as if he was my own, even if he doesn't see it. I won't hurt him like his brother did. Like his family did."

With that Kakashi fell silent. He could see Sasuke was coming back up to him but he wasn't quite ready to leave yet. He closed his eyes, sitting quietly in the wind, now blowing strongly around him.

He was completely shocked when he felt a light weight fall onto his lap and lean back against his chest.

The great Sasuke Uchiha was sitting on his legs, his head back against his chest and his arms wrapped around his own waist. Kakashi reached over, tenderly wiping his thumbs across Sasuke's now wet cheeks before wrapping an arm around his middle.

Both closed their eyes, scared for the future, upset about the past, and enjoying the present. Sasuke didn't want this to ever end. He was in his teachers arms, he wasn't alone, and this teacher understood exactly what he was going through. Maybe he didn't suffer through the exact same thing as he did, but he understood.

It was sad that it was pain that had to bring them together. That had to bring them to this understanding, but that was just how human nature worked. There was nothing he could do about it.

There was definitely going to be more pain to come but right now they both just wanted to forget about it and enjoy each other's comfort.

"I guess I'm going to have to take Naruto out for some ramen tomorrow." Sasuke said quietly, almost deliriously with a chuckle. "Will you come Sensei?

He didn't really understand what that meant but chuckled quietly to himself.

"Sure Sasuke."

"Good." He heard him say with a sigh. Then a moment later…

"Sensei will you stay with me tonight?" Sasuke asked as he felt his eyelids droop in exhaustion.

"Of course Sasuke. I'm here."

And at that, Sasuke let his eyes close.

"I-I love you otousan."

Kakashi's mouth dropped open in shock at the whisper he had barley heard as the boy clutched onto his jacket. His lips opened and closed for a minute as the air left him.

Then as he watched the boys breathing begin to even out, a small unseen smile formed on his masked lips.

"I love you too son." Were the last words Sasuke heard as he fell into the first comfortable, dreamless sleep he'd had in what felt like years. Warm arms wrapped around him and no fear or nightmares to make his heart race

"I love you too son."

_I promise Obito, Sensei. I promise Sasuke._

* * *

**So there it is guys, probably the last update for six weeks!**

**Hope you enjoyed, leave your thoughts and vote on my pole please.**

**Btw love the ideas I'm getting from some of you. Have anymore let me know.**

** Thanks for reading and remember to review, review, review.**

**`Twilaliars798**

**PS. Does anyone no if I change my user name does everything change? Like will you guys still be following me and be able to find me **


	5. PLEASE READ!

**Not a chapter PLEASE READ! Not done yet :)**

Hey guys, I'm back! Had the most amazing vacation ever the last five weeks- I wish I could live there. And while I was gone, I must say that I got quit a bit of writing done :)...though maybe not as much as I could have. Too busy in paradise :P So I know that I promised I would have an update ready when I got back, but now I have a problem.

Last week I was just about to start writing what I got done while I was gone on the computer, and I ended up with a computer with a destoyed screen. Yupp my laptop fell of my bed and half the screen cracked in the inside. So I wanted to let you guys no that this story is not finished. I'm not sure when I'll be getting my computer fixed but untill then, the only times I'll be able to go on is when my sister lets me use her laptop. I'll try to get as much done as I can but until I can get a new one or get mine fixed, updates may be very slow or not happen. I'm sorry, I was so mad, but please bare with me and know that I am not done here and will update as soon as I can.I also realized how many mistaked I made writing my last intallment of Sasuke's heart and will probably edit that when I get my computer back as well

I wanted to thank all those who are following me and this story, as well as my wonderful reviewers. Thank you so much for your comments. I'm glad your enjoying Sasuke's Heart and hope you continue reading it when I'm finally able to continue. I have also gotten a few new ideas while I was gone and I will probably have more stories about Sasuke, Kakashi and team seven when I get back.

**`Twilaliars798**


End file.
